Coconut Shrimp with Green-Curry Mango Sauce

I stopped in Mazatlan for a day last spring on a cruise. I lounged around all day on the beach and ate the most amazing Coconut Shrimp.
I thought a lot about that day during this long winter. I NEED a vacation.

Coconut shrimp

Ingredients
24 large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and butterflied
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 egg whites
2 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut, or 2 1/2 cups shredded fresh coconut
Canola or peanut oil, for frying
Green-Curry Mango Sauce, recipe follows

Method
Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel. In a small bowl combine cornstarch, salt, pepper, and cayenne. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy. In another bowl, place the coconut.

Coat the shrimp with the cornstarch and shake off any excess. Dip into the egg white and then press into the coconut to get full coverage.

In a large pan, heat the oil to 350 degrees F and gently submerge the shrimp, 6 at a time. Fry for about 3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove them to a rack to drain.


Green Curry-Mango Sauce
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup canola oil
1 red onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1 serrano chile, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons green curry paste
3 ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted, and coarsely chopped
2 cups water
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon honey
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and serrano chile and cook for 1 minute. Add the curry paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add mangoes and water, stir well, and cook until the mango is soft, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat, and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a blender, and pulse a couple of times. (Have a the lid of the blender cracked open to avoid any kind of heat explosion)

Add the lime juice, cilantro, and honey and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the remaining 1/2 cup oil and blend until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.