Step 1

Marinade the shrimp with 1/3 tsp of salt, 1.5 tsp of soy sauce, 1.5 tsp of Chinese cooking wine, some black pepper to taste, a drizzle of vegetable oil, and 1.5 tsp of paprika. Toss to mix thoroughly. Set it aside.

Step 2

Spread the shaved coconut on a metal baking pan. Bake this in a 350 F oven for 5-7 minutes. Every oven is different. Please keep an eye on it until it is golden brown.

Step 3

Chop 30 cloves in a food processor for a couple of minutes. Rinse the garlic with running water to wash off the mercaptans. Leave it in the sieve to drain thoroughly.

Step 4

Add 3/4 cup of cooking oil to the wok along with the garlic. Simmer over medium-low heat for 8-12 minutes or until the garlic is nice and crispy. Let it go through a sieve. Set the garlic aside.

Step 5

Clean the wok and pour the oil back in. Turn the heat to high and fry the shrimp for just 2 minutes. Take them out and set the shrimp aside. Store the oil in a sealed container for other recipes.

Step 6

Keep 2 tbsp of oil in the wok and use it to stir all the aromatics over medium heat for a couple of minutes (red dried chilies, Thai bird eye chilies, ginger, diced onion, the white part of the scallion, cilantro stem, and fermented black soybean).

Step 7

Toss in the shaved and baked coconut, the crispy fried garlic. Season with 1/3 tsp of salt, 1.5 tsp of sugar. Mix until the flavor is well combined. Introduce the shrimp back into the wok, along with the green part of the scallion and the cilantro leaves. Give it a final toss and you are done.