Christine went to high school with Nina in La Jolla, CA. Then they lost touch for nearly 30 years until we ran into each other in BuenaVista in 2001. Christine and her husband, Leo had just bought a house here. Now they’re not only our good friends, but our neighbors too! When we visited them in Florence, Oregon a few summers ago they took us to their restaurant/tavern in Old Town Florence, the Beachcomber. There was a Baja specialty, coconut shrimp on their menu, so of course Terry ordered it. And lo and behold … I loved it! So here it is. Make sure those shrimp are nice and crispy and be brave and leave the seeds in the jalapeños! As Christine says, “Mo hottah, mo bettah!” They have since sold the restaurant, but the recipe lives on. Serves four to six. 

Leo’s Coconut Shrimp 2 lb jumbo shrimp
1 cup flour
1 cup cold beer or ice water
½ tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 egg
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup corn or canola oil

Peel, devein and butterfly shrimp, leaving tail on. Rinse and drain. In mixing bowl, combine flour, beer, sugar, salt, olive oil and egg. Slightly chop coconut in food processor and pour onto plate for rolling.

Heat oil in deep fryer or deep skillet to medium high heat. Dip shrimp in batter and roll in coconut. Cook in oil until golden brown and crispy on each side. Drain on paper towel.

Christine's Dipping Sauce

1 cup orange marmalade, mango or pineapple preserves
2 fresh jalepeños, minced

For spicier sauce, do not remove seeds. Mix with marmalade and leave in refrigerator for an hour to give flavors a chance to blend. Arrange shrimp on a platter with dipping sauce in a bowl in the middle and serve.

Cooking with Baja Magic Dos - Mexican Recipes by Author Ann Hazard

These are featured in Ann Hazard’ book, Cooking With Baja Magic Dos. The cookbook has over 60 new recipes with corresponding stories and all new art. Whether or not you have Ann’s original cookbook, you will want a copy of Baja Magic Dos! For more information on Ann and her Baja books, visit her Facebook page or order her book from Amazon.com.