The national dish of Nauru, the world's third smallest country, is coconut fish. With only 81 square miles of land, Nauru is rich in fish, shellfish, and coconuts. Except for fish and coconut, which have become national culinary icons for Nauruan cuisine, the majority of the food items are imported. White fish fillets marinated in lime juice, salt, and pepper are used to make coconut crusted fish, which is a popular meal. The fillets are floured, dipped in eggs, and rolled in grated coconut before being cooked till the coconut crust forms.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour (spoon & leveled), 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 large eggs, beaten, 3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs, 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut, 1 pound raw large shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails attached, 3–4 Tablespoons vegetable, oil or coconut oil*, optional for topping: 1 Tablespoon finely chopped cilantro, Serving Sauce (Optional), 3 Tablespoons Thai chili sauce, 6 Tablespoons orange, peach, or apricot jam or preserves

Instructions

• Start with 3 medium bowls. Combine flour, salt, and pepper in one. Beat the eggs in the second bowl. CombinePanko and coconut in the third bowl.
• Dip the shrimp into the flour, then the eggs, and then dredge the shrimp into the coconut mixture, pressing gently to adhere. You want a lot of coconut on each shrimp. Set the coated shrimp aside on a plate as you coat the remaining shrimp.
• Add enough oil to cover the bottom of a large skillet over medium heat. Fry the coconut shrimp in batches such as 7-8 shrimp at a time– do not crowd them in the pan. Flip after 2 minutes and fry the other side for 2 minutes or until golden brown. We prefer ours a little darker, so I fry each side for about 2:30-3 minutes.
• Place the finished coconut shrimp on a plate lined with a paper towel as you fry the rest. Sprinkle with finely chopped cilantro. Mix dipping sauce ingredients together and serve with shrimp.
• Cover and store leftover shrimp in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  

With the coconut crusted fish, Nauru sweet potato fries make a delicious side dish. On their tiny island, Nauru grows a few root crops. Taro root, potato, or cassava could potentially be used to make them. The use of white sweet potatoes or orange sweet potatoes would also be delicious. There's a secret to keeping the fries crispy. Cornstarch is the key! Simply mix a cornstarch slurry, then dip and fry your chopped sweet potatoes in it.

Ingredients

• 2 lb sweet potatoes peeled and cut into fries, oil for frying, salt to season, 1/4 cup cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water

Instructions

• in a bowl mix together the cornstarch and water to make a slurry.
• Dip the pieces of sweet potato into the slurry to coat them well. A ziploc bag works well for this too.
• Heat your oil up in a deep fryer to 350 degrees or a frying pan is fine too.
• cook the sweet potatoes putting them in the hot oil one by one so they do not stick together.
• Remove when they just start to turn brown.
• Let them cool for about 10 minutes and fry them again this time the oil should be at 375 and cook them quicker for just a minute or two until golden.
• Sprinkle with salt an serve with some ketchup

Coconut mousse from Nauru is a delightful dish that visitors appreciate. This dessert has just the right amount of sweetness to satisfy your sweet craving. Fresh coconut, gelatin, milk, eggs, and vanilla sugar are used to make it. So, if you want to end your day on a high note, try this delicious treat. Nauru coconut mousse recipe is really easy and a delightful sweet treat. If you are making the coconut crusted fish, just grate a bit more fresh coconut for this recipe as well. It truly makes all the difference when using fresh coconut. This recipe calls for agar-agar which is like a gelatin. If you can’t find agar-agar you can substitute gelatin in equal amounts for this recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 cup coconut milk, 3 tablespoons sugar, 3/4 cup freshly grated coconut plus a couple tablespoons for garnish, 1 teaspoon agar-agar or gelatin, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 4 teaspoons vanilla sugar, 2 egg whites

Instructions

• In a large sauce pan heat the coconut milk, sugar and grated coconut without bringing to a boil.
• Remove from heat and stir in the agar-agar or gelatin
• Whisk until cool
• Beat the whip cream and gradually incorporate the vanilla sugar
• Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form
• Fold in the whip cream into the coconut milk mixture
• Then fold in the egg whites.
• Put in serving containers and let chill for about 4 hours
• In a sauce pan roast the two tablespoons of grated coconut and garnish

Coconut Crusted Cauliflower is a nutritious vegan option for vegetarians visiting Nauru. The recipe provides just the proper amount of crunch and flavor to satisfy your taste buds. You'll also love this one-of-a-kind dish prepared with coconut, cauliflower, herbs, spices, and breadcrumbs.Are you ready for some crispy, flavour-packed cauliflower tacos? When the weather is warm, most people tend to crave zesty, fresh and light flavours and this vegetarian dish delivers just that. Make it for dinner this week — you (and your belly) will be very pleased.

Ingredients

• ½ head cauliflower, 150 mL shredded coconut, 75 mL bread crumbs gluten free if desired, 1 lime zest and juice, 75 mL corn starch, 3 tbsp ground flax, oil for frying

Instructions

• Prepare flax egg by mixing ground flax with 100 mL water and the lime juice. Let sit for a few minutes until thick.
• Break and cut the cauliflower into bitesize florets.
• Prepare the deep frying sequence by setting up these bowls:
  1: bowl with water
  2: bowl with corn starch
  3: Flax egg
  4: mix shredded coconut, bread crumbs, lime zest and a pinch of salt
• Heat 2-3 cm oil in a shallow pan. When hot enough for frying:
• Dip cauliflower in water followed by corn starch, flax egg and finally the cocnout/breadcrumb mixture.
• Try one piece at first, if it browns over a few minutes, the oil is hot enough. Flip the cauliflower during frying for even coloration.
• Keep dipping and frying cauliflower until all cauliflower is cooked. Working in small batches of a few florets at a time ensures the oil doesn't cool down too much.
• Serve with (vegan) tartar sauce and lime wedges.

This crispy coconut crusted fish is a delicious way to incorporate more seafood into your week! The flounder fillets are breaded in coconut flakes and spices, baked until golden brown and served with a refreshing mango salsa! The sweet and savory crust on the flounder fillets pair so well with the spicy mango salsa. The fish fillets are dipped in whisked eggs, then coated on both sides in a simple spiced coconut/breadcrumb mixture.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs fish fillets (mahi-mahi or tilapia or other white fish fillets, 4 limes, 1 coconuts grated, salt and pepper, flour, 2 eggs, oil for frying

Instructions

• split the coconut and remove the meat, grate finely or use an implement like a "goat"
• squeeze the juice of two limes into a shallow bowl and add a bit of salt and pepper.
• pat the fish fillets dry and place into the lime juice
• let sit there for about 5 minutes
• meanwhile whisk the eggs and put in shallow bowl
• put some flour into a shallow bowl
• Put the grated coconut into a shallow bowl or plate
• remove a fillet from the lime marinade and dip it into the flour coat well on both sides
• Dip it into the egg and coat on both sides
• Dip into the freshly grated coconut and press lightly so it adheres all over the fillet
• Put aside and repeat until all the fillets are dipped.
• In a large frying pan, cover the bottom of the pan with a light coating of oil and fry until the coconut is crusted and a light brown.
• Set on paper towel and serve warm with a couple slices of lime.

If you enjoy crabs, you must try this delicious crab dish in Nauru. This easy-to-follow dish is a local favorite. Crabs, butter, coconut milk, garlic, and mayonnaise are used to make this dish. This delicious island snack is not to be missed. It's a cross between a sauce and a stew, curry-like in texture and rich with flavors of the sea; think coconut milk, fish sauce, and shrimp paste, cut with the sharpness of ginger and scallions. Enjoy with freshly steamed white rice.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs crab claws, 1 cup coconut milk, 1 cube butter, 2 garlic cloves minced, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon sirachi

Instructions

• In a large pot pour in the coconut milk and heat over medium heat to just before a boil.
• Add in the crab and let the crab heat up for about 10 minutes until warm
• meanwhile in a pot heat the butter and add the garlic let the butter get foamy and then remove from heat and put in dipping bowl
• In another bowl mix together the mayonnaise and sirachi put in dipping bowl
• Serve the crab in a shallow bowl with towels and means to crack them.

The cuisine of Nauru is heavily inspired by Chinese cuisine. As a result, the island offers a wide range of Chinese cuisine. The region's specialty is fried rice and noodles. When visiting Nauru, visitors make it a point to consume Spam Fried Rice. It is so quick to put together with simple ingredients and super easy to make!! You kids will love this dish as much as you do! It's your standard fried rice with eggs, mixed vegetables, and spam! For seasoning, the rice is coated in light and dark soy sauce. Spam is a pork mixture that is extremely popular in Hawaii and Korea. It has a softer texture than ham and is extremely tasty, especially when served with rice.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided, 2 large eggs, beaten, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 6 ounces Spam, diced, 1/2 cup frozen corn, 1/2 cup frozen peas, 1/2 cup frozen diced carrots, 3 cups cooked rice, 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce, 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil, 1/4 teaspoon white pepper, 2 green onions, sliced, Sriracha, for serving

Instructions

• Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over low heat. Add eggs and cook until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side, flipping only once. Let cool before dicing into small pieces.
• Heat remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in the skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and Spam, and cook, stirring often, until light golden brown, about 3-4 minutes.
• Add corn, peas and carrots. Cook, stirring constantly, until vegetables are tender, about 1-2 minutes.
• Add rice and gently toss to combine.
• Add soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil and white pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until heated through, about 1-2 minutes.
• Stir in green onions and eggs.
• Serve immediately, drizzled with Sriracha, if desired.

The famed island treat Island Bliss Truffles may also be obtained in Nauru. White chocolate, coconut powder, cocoa butter, and desiccated coconut are used in this delicious dish. The ingredients are combined to make a thick mixture, which is then formed into little balls. These handmade chocolate truffles are created with all natural, preservative-free ingredients and love. You use only the finest ingredients, including organic butter, organic cream, and 65% cocoa mass chocolate from Cordillera, which is a certified fair-trade chocolate, grown with organic practices.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup (33 g/1.2 oz) Desiccated coconut, 1 Tbsp (7 g/0.2 oz) Coconut milk powder, 25 g (0.9 oz) Mad Millie raw organic cacao butter, 5 Tbsp (14 g/0.5 oz) Mad Millie organic coconut sugar,2 tsp (10 mL/0.3 fl oz) Boiling water

Instructions

• Add the ingredients (keeping a little desiccated coconut aside for rolling the balls in at the end) into a food processor and mix until the mixture is uniform. NOTE: cacao butter should not be melted.
• Shape mixture into small balls and roll/spread desiccated coconut on top of the balls.
• Let set for 2 hours in the fridge before consuming. Best to consume within one week.

If you're looking for delicious lemon chicken, Nauru is the place to go. Many people believe the island is famous for its Chinese cuisine. The fried chicken chunks are dipped in a flavorful, tangy sauce in this unique recipe. If you prefer authentic Chinese cuisine, you will love it. Lemon chicken is really just a simple baked chicken recipe, jazzed up with some punchy ingredients that add lots of flavor without taking away from how super-healthy baked chicken breasts are. It’s also a great one to include in your weekend meal-prep (if you do that kind of thing)

Ingrdients

• 3 to 4 pounds chicken parts (thighs and legs recommended), skin-on, bone-in, trimmed of excess fat, 4 teaspoons lemon zest (about zest from 2 lemons), 1/3 cup lemon juice, 2 cloves garlic, crushed, 2 tablespoons fresh chopped thyme (or 2 teaspoons dried), 2 teaspoons fresh chopped rosemary (or 1/2 teaspoon dried), 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 2 tablespoons butter, melted, Lemon slices for garnish

Instructions

• Place lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a large, non-reactive bowl, whisk to combine. With the tip of a sharp knife, cut into the underside (skinless) of each chicken piece one or two times by about 1/2 an inch. (This will help the marinade penetrate.) Place the chicken pieces in the bowl and turn to coat with the marinade. Place in the refrigerator and marinate for 1 to 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Remove chicken from marinade and place in a single layer in a large baking dish, skin side up. Reserve the marinade. Use a pastry brush to brush melted butter on each piece of chicken.
• Bake for 20 minutes and baste the chicken pieces generously with the reserved marinade. Continue baking for another 15 to 25 minutes (a total of 35 to 45 minutes), until the skins are crispy brown, and the chicken is cooked through, juices running clear (internal temperature of 165°F).
• Depending on the size of the breasts, they may be ready before the thighs, so if you are cooking a mix of chicken parts, keep that in mind, you may have to take them out of the oven before the thighs.
• Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest, covered in foil, for 10 minutes before serving.
• Pour the juices from the pan into a serving bowl. Use a tablespoon to skim the fat off the top (save the fat for cooking with later, or discard, but do not discard down the drain or it will solidify and clog your drain).
• Serve the chicken with the juices on the side or a little poured over the top of the chicken.