Coconut Shrimp Surprise

To get small romaine leaves use just the hearts of two heads of romaine. Save the outer leaves for a salad.

For shrimp filling, thaw shrimp if frozen. Bring 4 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to boiling in a large sauce pan. Add shrimp and simmer 1-3 minutes or till opaque. Drain. Rinse under cold running water. Drain again. Coarsely chop shrimp. You should have about 1 1/2 cups. Cover and chill. Spread coconut in a shallow baking pan. Bake at 350F for 5-10 minutes or till golden brown, stirring once or twice. Remove from oven. Cool. For sauce, combine coconut milk, peanuts, brown sugar and fish sauce in a small sauce pan. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, over medium heat 8 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Cool. Combine chopped shrimp, toasted coconut, lime juice, ginger root, jalapeno, pepper and salt in a bowl. Stir in sauce. Cover and chill up to 4 hours. Transfer shrimp mixture to a serving bowl. For each appetizer place a spoonful of shrimp filling on a romaine leaf. Roll up. Makes about 30 servings.