Mango Shrimp Salad on Coconut Brioche Buns

I love coconut shrimp. Like love it. It was the one thing I would always order at Bubba Gump's on the pier in San Francisco. 

In tribute to my love for coconut shrimp, I came up with a sandwich that sort of combined all of the elements of coconut shrimp with the sweet sauce it always came with. 

If you don't fancy the shrimp salad, I highly suggest you at least make the coconut brioche. You'll probably have zero self control and eat all of it. Have no shame...the coconut brioche is pretty darn magnificent. 

 

Makes 8 burger buns

1 1/4 cup warm light coconut milk
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs
3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup toasted sweetened coconut
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup toasted sweetened coconut for the tops

1. In a glass measuring cup, combine warm coconut milk, yeast and sugar. Let stand until foamy, about five minutes. 

2. In a large bowl, whisk flours with salt. Add butter and rub into flour between your fingers, making crumbs. Using a dough scraper, stir in yeast mixture and one beaten egg and coconut until a dough forms. Scrape dough onto clean, well-floured counter and knead, scooping dough up, slapping it on counter and turning it, until smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. The dough will be on the sticky side so it can be a bit messy, but keep in mind that the more flour you knead in, the tougher the buns will get. Try to leave them tackier than you would a round loaf.

3. Shape dough into a ball and return it to bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, one to two hours.

4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using dough scraper, divide dough into 8 equal parts. Gently roll each into a ball and arrange two to three inches apart on baking sheet. Cover loosely with a piece of plastic wrap lightly coated in nonstick spray and let buns rise in a warm place for one to two hours.

5. Set a large shallow pan of water on oven floor. Preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack in center. Beat remaining egg with one tablespoon water and brush some on top of buns. Sprinkle with coconut. Bake, turning sheet halfway through baking, until tops are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Recipe developed from Smitten Kitchen's light brioche burger buns.

1/4 cup coconut milk

1 mango

1/2 cup sweetened coconut

1/2 cup light mayonnaise

2 lbs raw tail on shrimp

1 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp chives or sliced green onions

sprinkle of salt

1. Bake shrimp on a cookie sheet for 5-8 minutes in a 400 degree oven. Just until they are pink. Allow to cool. Remove tails and chop into small chunks. 

2. Reduce coconut milk over high heat until it reduces by half. Using a blender or food processor, blend mango with coconut milk. (Should be pretty thick). If not, reduce the blended mixture more. Allow to cool.

3. Add mayo to mango and coconut mixture. Mix together with shrimp, coconut, sugar, salt and chives. 

4. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

- Slice buns in half, scoop on a healthy amount of shrimp salad on each bottom. Top with lettuce or whatever you fancy. 

*You can use croissants, Hawaiian sweet rolls or tortillas instead of brioche too!