The #1 tip for making juicy, crispy Southern fried shrimp, according to a former NOLA chef

Fried shrimp has been my favorite special occasion dish for as long as I can remember. I grew up in North Carolina, but my mom is from South Louisiana, and going to eat crispy, tender, perfectly seasoned fried shrimp was a highlight of every trip I took to visit my grandfather and aunt in Louisiana. Mom has always avoided shrimp, except from the Gulf—known for its sweet, nutty, plump shrimp—so I've really only eaten fried shrimp in South Louisiana, where you can reliably get excellent shrimp and where the chefs are pretty heavy-handed with the spices in their batter. .

Until recently, Louisiana was still my general rule of thumb for fried shrimp when I was on site in Alabama, where our Birmingham counterpart is. Craig Ruff created this recipe for Southern Fried Shrimp. A recipe developer who specializes in Southern cuisine, Craig has cooking experience in both New Orleans and Mississippi, so he knows a thing or two about frying shrimp. The first batch Craig cooked was really good, but he kept tinkering, cooking batch after batch until he had perfected his recipe for the best fried shrimp I'd ever eaten – fat and juicy, light and delicious. crispy coating that got just the right effect from the Creole seasoning. Craig's recipe allows me to make excellent Southern fried shrimp even though I'm nowhere near the Gulf Coast – and neither can you.

Choosing the best shrimp

The first order of business if you want a really great fry is to get the best quality shrimp. “While Gulf Shrimp is best for southern fried shrimp, you can use whatever you have available,” says Craig. “If you live in a coastal area, buy local and fresh, but otherwise I tend to go for frozen at the grocery store.” He points out that the shrimp in most grocery store cooler bags were probably previously frozen and simply thawed at the store. If you buy frozen shrimp, simply put them in the refrigerator to thaw 12-24 hours before cooking.

Whether you're buying fresh or frozen shrimp, Craig advises choosing shrimp that are free of STPP (sodium tripolyphosphate), an additive used to prevent moisture loss, which can make cooked shrimp rubbery and less flavorful during cooking. “Retained moisture results in heavier (more expensive for their size) shrimp that cook differently, have a different texture, and most importantly, less flavor,” says Craig. “I usually look for unpeeled, individually quick-frozen (IQF) shrimp, and I always check the ingredients list. The only ingredient is 'shrimp.'

The best pasta for fried shrimp

When you're ready to make the shrimp, mix together the dry mixture of self-raising flour, cornmeal, cornmeal, and Creole seasoning, and the wet mixture of buttermilk and egg to which the flour mixture is added. Self-rising flour is a mixture of all-purpose flour, salt and baking powder (you can easily mix it with these ingredients if you don't have a bag of it on hand). Baking powder is a leavening agent that activates in the presence of water and an acid—buttermilk in this case—and creates gas bubbles that aerate the dough and promote an even coating that is slightly lighter in texture.

Cornmeal is a flour ground from whole corn kernels, ground very finely, while cornmeal is coarser – using both adds a complex, sweet, nutty, toasty flavor to the coating, and a texture that has some size but isn't so dense that it overpowers the shrimp. Another key ingredient in the breading is Creole seasoning, which flourishes when baked and complements the sweet shrimp. Craig and I are both fans of Zatarain's Creole Seasoning, which contains chili peppers, paprika, red pepper, garlic, onion, salt, and sugar, but feel free to use your favorite brand here.

During testing, Craig tried a dry-wet-dry dredge, but found the process produced too thick a coating. Instead, she mixed a little flour mixture into the dough. “Adding some of the dry mix to the buttermilk mixture creates a loose batter that creates a breading that actually sticks to the shrimp,” he explains.

After dredging, put the shrimp in the refrigerator to rest for about half an hour. “Don't skip chilling the dredged shrimp in the refrigerator,” warns Craig. “The dry mix hydrates slightly and really sticks to the shrimp. If it doesn't rest, it forms a coating that peels off and separates distinctly from the shrimp.” Trust him – he's tested batches without resting and knows what he's talking about: Without resting, “the coating won't stick at all”. He also tested items with 15 minutes of rest and they performed better than items with no rest, but not as well as items that rested for 30 minutes.

Fry the shrimp so that they are crispy, not soggy

Once the shrimp are broken down and sufficiently rested, it's time to fry them. Here are some keys to success. The first is to keep the oil at the correct temperature (365ºF) by frying in batches to avoid overcrowding and allowing the oil to warm to the correct temperature between batches. The second is overcooking the shrimp. “The answer to 'why are my shrimp rubbery?' is almost always overcooked,” says Craig. “Brilling is one of my favorite ways to cook shrimp, but it overcooks easily. You don't want to cook the shrimp for more than a few minutes – if the breading is golden brown, stop cooking. The harder you fry the shrimp, the stronger the meat proteins bind and squeeze out all the juiciness.”

How to serve fried shrimp

I like to dip my fried shrimp in rémoulade sauce, but they are also great plain or with another dipping sauce, such as cocktail sauce. French fries are a classic side dish, but I also really like fried shrimp with salad – the cold crunchy greens and creamy dressing really complement the crispy fried shrimp. Whatever you serve on the side, once the shrimp are out of the oven, serve as quickly as you can without burning your fingers—fried shrimp don't keep well, but if your family is like mine, someone will take care of that. ate the last shrimp.

Cooking method
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• 1 cup self-rising flour (4 1/2 oz.; 128 g), see notes

• 1 cup corn flour (4 oz; 113 g), see notes

• 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal (4 oz; 113 g)

• 2 ttablespoon Creole seasoning (1 oz; 30 g)

• 1/2 cup (120ml) whole writer

• 2 large large eggs

• 1 1/2 pound (680g) large shrimp (26-36 per lb.), peeled, rubbed, with tail

• Peanut oilfor baking

• 1 recipe New Orleans Rémoulade sauce or shop remoulade sauce (optional)

1. In a large, shallow bowl, whisk together the self-raising flour, cornmeal, cornmeal, and Creole seasoning. In another large, shallow bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and 1/2 cup of the flour mixture.

2. Place a rack in a rimmed baking sheet; put aside. Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel. Add to the buttermilk mixture and stir to coat evenly. Working 2-3 shrimp at a time, let the excess buttermilk mixture drip off. Rub shrimp into flour mixture, pressing gently to adhere. Shake off any excess flour and transfer the shrimp to the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate until most of the outer flour mixture is slightly hydrated, 30 minutes.

3. Line another rimmed baking sheet with 2 layers of paper towels; put aside. Fill a large Dutch oven with 1 1/2 inches of peanut oil and heat over medium-high to 185°C. Carefully add about 1/3 of the shrimp to the oil. Fry in 2 minutes until golden brown and done, stirring carefully with a spider skimmer or a slotted spoon. Transfer shrimp to a paper towel-lined baking sheet with a slotted spoon; allow the oil to reheat to 185°C and repeat with the remaining prawns in another 2 bats. Serve with remoulade, if desired.

Special equipment

Two 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheets, large Dutch oven, spider web oven, or slotted spoon

Comments

To make self-rising flour: Mix 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (use half as much for table salt).

Corn flour is flour ground from whole corn kernels, very finely ground. Bob's Red Mill is a good brand of cornmeal available at many grocery stores. If you can't find it, you can replace the cornmeal with an equal amount of self-rising flour.

Preparation and storage

Fried shrimp are best eaten immediately, but if there are any left over, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Rémoulade can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.