Makes 6 servings

Hands on: 1 1/2 hours

JOEY IVANSCO/AJC (ENLARGE)
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Total time: 7 1/2 hours

A touch of sweetness — in the coconut and the dipping sauce — adds intrigue to this festive appetizer. Jeremy Estroff rolls the fried, dried shrimp in toasted coconut, but the shrimp is delicious without it, too — and it's hard to get the final coating of toasted coconut to stick. For a variation, use chicken or tofu instead of shrimp.

1 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed

1 (13 1/2-ounce) can coconut milk

1 cup fresh or frozen mango (about 1 medium)

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

4 fresh mint leaves

1/4 cup plain yogurt

Canola oil for deep frying

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 eggs, whisked

2 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut, finely chopped in food processor

Place shrimp in a medium bowl and pour coconut milk over it. Stir once, then cover and refrigerate at least six hours or overnight.

To prepare the mango-mint sauce, puree the mango in a blender or food processor. Add the sugar, mint leaves and yogurt and blend until well combined. Chill for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, heat oil, about 3 inches deep, in a deep pot or fryer. Set three bowls in a row on your countertop: one with the flour, one with the whisked eggs and the final one with the panko and chopped coconut, mixed.

Drain the shrimp. Working quickly, dredge each shrimp in the flour, then dip in the eggs and then roll in the panko-coconut mixture. Place on a tray. When all of the shrimp has been coated in this manner, refrigerate at least 10 minutes to allow coating to set.

Test the oil to make sure it's ready for frying by dropping a bit of the panko-coconut mixture in the fryer. If it sizzles immediately and rises to the surface of the oil, browning quickly, the oil is ready. Carefully place as many of the shrimp as will fit without touching in the oil; cook until coating is lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels or brown paper. Serve warm with chilled mango-mint dipping sauce.

Per serving: 507 calories (percent of calories from fat, 53), 22 grams protein, 38 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 30 grams fat (18 grams saturated), 147 milligrams cholesterol, 170 milligrams sodium.