Who doesn't love crispy fried shrimp? It's such a quick and easy meal
to throw together. I always keep a bag of frozen shrimp in my freezer,
which makes serving this that much simpler.
We are definitely shrimp lovers in our household, I know I've said that
before. What I like about using cornmeal is the coating doesn't become
too thick and you can actually taste the shrimp
and the seasoning as opposed to a mouthful of breading. My kids really
appreciate this.
I make up a quick tartar sauce and this is ready in no time. I have
never tried this with fresh shrimp but I can't see why it wouldn't work.
All-You-Can-Eat Crisp Cornmeal Shrimp
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 pound frozen peeled and defined large shrimp with tail on, thawed
Tartar sauce
Lemon wedges
In a shallow bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, salt and Old Bay Seasoning. In another bowl, lightly beat two eggs.
Dip the shrimp in the eggs, then coat in the cornmeal mixture.
In a skillet, cook the shrimp until golden brown and crisp in a 1/2" of
canola oil, about 3 minutes (about 5-8 at a time). Transfer to paper
towel-lined plate to drain. Keep warm in a 200o F oven until all the shrimp are cooked.
Serve with lemon wedges and tartar sauce for dipping.
I make up my own tartar sauce instead of using store-bought. For
every 1/2 cup of mayonnaise I add, 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 2
teaspoons fresh minced onion, 1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish, 1
teaspoon horseradish and freshly ground pepper.
Cathy is currently in the development stages of her vineyard and winery in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. She is a food writer for Davis Life Magazine and blogs daily about wine, food and everyday living. She lives with her husband and two sons. You can visit her at noblepig.com.