Nigella Lawson, the TV cook, has faced ridicule for cooking a dish from the Oscar-winning film Forrest Gump. Lawson cooked Coconut Shrimp and shared it with her followers on social media. However, it is a meal that Benjamin Buford Blue, played by Mykelti Williamson, reeled off to Forrest, played by Tom Hanks, in the film. Blue encouraged Forrest to fish with him and explained the numerous things you can make with shrimp. The dish is also on the menu at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. restaurant chain, which has 34 locations across the world.
Lawson, 63, said: “I have good news to announce. Recipe of the day is Coconut Shrimp.” One fan joked, “Very delicious” and shared a meme of the famous Bubba quote. However, others pointed out that it was a dish from Forrest Gump. The recipe for three to four people includes rice flour, eggs, panko breadcrumbs, desiccated coconut, and fresh raw peeled king prawns.
The rice flour is dredged onto the shrimp to make the coconut adhere to the prawns better than plain flour would. It provides a crispness and light crunch, similar to panko breadcrumbs. Lawson said that coconut shrimp is an American delicacy, and she prefers to retain native terminology, although she does not know why.
In the film, Blue lists various shrimp dishes, including shrimp gumbo, shrimp creole, and pineapple shrimp, among others. The Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. sells its Dumb Luck Coconut Shrimp for £18.
