Creamy Macadamia Shrimp

Macadamia nuts are often used as a crispy coating for seafood and that’s exactly where the inspiration for this recipe came from. We were craving something like macadamia nut crusted shrimp, but we didn’t want to take the time to dredge each little shrimp in a nutty coating and we didn’t want to deal with the mess of deep-frying. Occasionally, laziness in the kitchen can be a source of inspiration and leads us to create new dishes that take very little time to make but deliver big flavor. Creamy Macadamia Shrimp is exactly one of these dishes.

In twenty minutes or less you’ll be sitting down to a bowl of shrimp flavored by one of our favorite nuts, the macadamia. If you recall, it made the “10 Foods I Couldn’t Live Without” list where we mentioned mixing the mild, tropical-tasting nut with blackberries and Greek yogurt. This combo is perfect for breakfast or dessert, but if you want to bring macadamia nuts into your main course too, then Creamy Macadamia Shrimp is a recipe you definitely have to try.

A handful of ingredients come together to make a creamy, crunchy, rich sauce that has the slightly sweet flavor of macadamia nuts, the savory bite of shallot and a hint of coconut. It’s simple to make, but tastes complex. We can imagine serving the shrimp with a side of sautéed greens or on top of steamed cauliflower rice to make it a complete meal.

Be generous with the finishing squirt of lime – it will tie all the ingredients together and heighten the flavor of the dish.

Ingredients:

2-3 servings


  • 1 pound of raw shrimp, peeled and de-veined
  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste)
  • 1/2 cup macadamia nuts
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons coconut milk
  • Fresh lime juice to taste

Instructions:

Puree shallot, salt and macadamia nuts in a food processor until fairly smooth.

Melt butter in a pan over high heat and add shrimp. Saute one minute then add shallot-macadamia mixture. Stir the shrimp several times while they continue to sauté for three more minutes. Add coconut milk to the shrimp and cook one minute more.

Remove from heat and squeeze a generous amount of lime juice on top to taste.


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