I love the Pacific Northwest. I love it’s stormy coast, lush forests and picturesque mountains. But, after summer reverts into hibernation and the bone-chilling rain sets in, there’s nothing like escaping somewhere warm for a stint to remind you that—despite the dreary weather—the Pacific Northwest is a great place to call home.
That being said, after a wet and wild October, complete with rain and windstorms (enough to knock my power out), I was more than ready to take a week off in Hawaii. While enjoying the surf, sun and all the bounty that my favorite island, Maui, has to offer, I decided to switch things up for this week’s Culinary Chemistry with something to transport you away from dreary, gray Washington days.
While several excellent breweries hail from the state of Hawaii, Maui Brewing Co. is the creator of some of my favorite craft suds. The flavor of the island is infused into each sip of Maui Brewing Co.’s unique and tasty brews, like their Bikini Blonde Lager which is used in this warm-weather and tropically inspired recipe for Coconut Beer-Battered Prawns. A quick and delicious recipe, enjoy these prawns as pupus before dinner, or as your main dish.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Serves: 6 as an appetizer, 2 for main
Ingredients:
½ pound prawns (fresh or pre-cooked), defrosted
1 cup flour
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 cup shredded coconut
1 can Maui Brewing Co. Bikini Blonde Lager
canola or vegetable oil for deep frying
sweet chili sauce for dipping (optional)
Directions:
In a deep skillet, heat oil. While oil is heating, prepare prawns by coating in flour, dipping in beer, coating in panko bread crumbs, dredging in beer again, and coating in coconut. You can repeat this process multiple times for a more breaded coating, or once for a light coating.
Once oil has heated (you can test by dropping a small piece of bread into the oil), add prawns and cook until crispy and golden brown. About 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side (they cook fast!)
When prawns are cooked and ready to come out of the oven, remove from oil and place on a paper-towel lined plate (this will help absorb excess oil).
Serve alongside your favorite sweet chili or cocktail sauce for dipping with Bikini Blonde in hand.
