Coconut Shrimp and Mango Salsa

It's been awhile since my last entry, but a recent request by the fam for a recipe reminded me that I should attempt to post something at least annually. In any case, I made this fabulous shrimp dish for Memorial Day, and I thought I'd share with y'all. Ok, you got me...I'm not Southern. I respectfully retract my "y'all" comment and replace it with "you guys."

I don't have any photos of this dish right now, but I plan to make it again soon and promise to take some pics of each step along the way. I'll add them as soon as I have them...

Ingredients:
shrimp
coconut
mango (frozen is fine)
green onions
red pepper
cilantro
lime juice
salt (kosher, if you have it)
sugar


Directions:
Prepare a brine for the shrimp by adding a ratio of about 2:1 of salt and sugar to some warm water. I usually start with about 3 to 4 tablespoons of salt to 1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar, and then make it stronger depening on how long I want to wait to let it soak up the yumminess of the brine. Prepare the shrimp by taking off the shell (including the tails, if you don't want to mess with them while you're eating them), and put the shrimp on in there.

In the meantime, prepare the mango salsa. Dice the mango and the red pepper, using a ratio of about 2:1 (apparently that ratio's pretty handy for this recipe). Slice some green onion, on the diagonal if you're feeling fancy, and add them into the mango/red pepper combo. Mince the cilantro and add it in, and finally add lime juice and salt to taste. As a guide, start with about 2-3 teaspoons of lime juice and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of salt for about 2 c. of salsa, and add to taste. If you splurged on actual limes to obtain your lime juice, zest them prior to juicing them and throw some of that in as well.

On to grilling the shrimpers...

If you have an indoor grill, now's the time to dig it out of storage. Turn it on medium-high and let it heat up. Put the shrimp in a bowl and toss them with some oil (whatever type you have on hand, but I'm a fan of the "EVOO," or Rachel Ray's term for Extra Virgin Olive Oil). Toss them onto the grill (being sure they have a bit of room to breathe), and let them cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until they turn opaque (watch that they don't overcook, or they'll get tough).

While the shrimp are grilling, spread the coconut in a thin layer onto a cookie sheet and put them in a 350 degree oven for approximately 7 minutes, or until they begin to turn golden-brown.

When the shrimp are done, serve them on top of the toasted coconut with the mango salsa on the side.