The #1 Tip for Making Juicy, Crispy Southern Fried Shrimp, According to the Former Chef of NOLA

For as long as I can remember, fried shrimp has been my favorite meal on special occasions. I grew up in North Carolina, but my mother is from South Louisiana, and the highlight of every trip to visit my grandfather and aunt in Louisiana was to eat crispy, tender, perfectly cooked fried shrimp . Mom has always avoided eating shrimp from anywhere other than the Gulf — which is known for its sweet, savory-flavored, plump shrimp — so I’ve really only eaten fried shrimp in South Louisiana, where you can get reliable. One can get excellent shrimp form and where the chefs use it with a heavy enough hand to spice up their batters.

My usual fix for fried shrimp was still only in Louisiana, most recently when I was on site in Alabama, where our Birmingham-based colleagues craig ruff Was making this recipe for southern fried shrimp. A recipe developer who specializes in Southern cuisine, Craig also has experience cooking in restaurants in New Orleans and Mississippi, so he knows a thing or two about frying shrimp. The first batch Craig fried was really good, but he kept making changes, frying batch after batch, until he perfected his recipe, which turned out to be the best fried rice I’ve ever eaten. There were some of the shrimp – they were mild and juicy, mild and juicy. Crispy coating that had just the right kick of Creole seasoning. With Craig’s recipe, I can eat excellent Southern fried shrimp even when I’m nowhere near the Gulf Coast — and so can you.

Choosing the Best Shrimp

If you want a really excellent fry-up the first thing to do is get the best quality shrimp. “Although Gulf shrimp are best suited for Southern fried shrimp, you can use whatever you have available,” says Craig. “Go for local and fresh food if you live in a coastal area, but otherwise I lean toward frozen items at grocery stores.” He points out that in most grocery store refrigerator cases the shrimp have been previously frozen anyway and are simply thawed at the store. If you buy frozen shrimp, put it in the refrigerator to thaw 12 to 24 hours before you plan to cook it.

Whether you buy fresh or frozen shrimp, Craig recommends you choose shrimp free of STPP (sodium tripolyphosphate), an additive used to prevent moisture loss as it evaporates during cooking. Can make it rubbery and less tasty. “Retaining moisture results in heavier (more expensive for their size) shrimp that cook differently, have a different texture, and most importantly, they are less flavorful,” says Craig. “I usually look for unpeeled, individually quick frozen (IQF) shrimp, and I always check the ingredient list. The only ingredient should be ‘shrimp.'”

Best Batter for Fried Shrimp

When you’re ready to prepare your shrimp, you’ll whisk together the dry mixture of self-rising flour, cornmeal, cornmeal and Creole seasoning and the wet mixture of buttermilk and eggs, to which you’ll add some. Flour mixture. Self-rising flour is a mixture of flour, salt, and baking powder (if you don’t have a bag of it, you can simply mix it with those ingredients). Baking powder is a yeast that activates in the presence of water and acid – in this case buttermilk – and produces gas bubbles that aerate the batter and help create an even coating that is slightly lighter in texture. .

Corn flour is a very finely ground flour made from whole corn kernels, while cornmeal is coarser grain – using both gives the coating a complex, sweet, nutty and savory flavor and a texture that has some There is dimension but it is not so thick that it overpowers the shrimp. Another key ingredient in the breading is Creole seasoning, which flourishes when fried and complements the sweet shrimp. Craig and I are both fans of Zatarain’s Creole seasoning, which includes chile peppers, paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic, onion, salt, and sugar, but feel free to use your favorite brand here.

In testing, Craig tried dry-wet-dry dredge, but he found that the process made for a coating that was too thick. Instead, he started adding a little bit of the flour mixture to the batter. He explains, “Adding some of the dry mixture to the buttermilk mixture creates a loose batter that results in a breading that really sticks to the shrimp.”

After dredging, you’ll put the shrimp in the refrigerator to rest for about half an hour. “Don’t leave dried shrimp in the refrigerator,” warns Craig. “The dry mixture is slightly hydrated and actually sticks to the shrimp. Not resting creates a layer that becomes flaky and separates from the shrimp.” Trust him—he tested batches without resting and he knows what he’s talking about: Without resting, “the coating didn’t stick at all.” They also tested batches with 15 minutes of rest, and those batches performed better than batches with no rest, but not as good as batches with 30 minutes of rest.

Fry the shrimp so that they are crispy, not soggy

Once the shrimp are cooked and rested adequately, 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 return to the correct temperature between batches. Second, do not overcook the shrimp. “The answer to ‘Why is my shrimp rubbery?’ It’s almost always the case that it’s overcooked, says Craig. “Frying is one of my favorite ways to cook shrimp, but it gets cooked easier this way. You don’t want to fry the shrimp for more than a few minutes – once the breading is golden brown, stop frying. The harder you fry the shrimp, the more tightly the meat proteins bind together, squeezing out all the juice.”

How to Serve Fried Shrimp

I love dipping my fried shrimp in remoulade sauce, but they also go great plain or with other dipping sauces like cocktail sauce. French fries are a classic side, but I also love fried shrimp along with salad – the cool crisp green vegetables and creamy dressing really complement the crispy fried shrimp. Whatever you serve on the side, once your shrimp come out of the fryer, serve them as quickly as possible without burning your fingers – fried shrimp don’t keep well, but if your family is like mine, Someone will take care of him. He is eating the last shrimp.

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