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Spatula Diaries: Hold onto summer with fried shrimp at home

Photo by Maggie Heyn Richardson

What’s the right way to fry shrimp? Ask a crowd of Louisianans—or anyone with ties to the Gulf South—and brace yourself for strong opinions. Timing and temperature are an issue. You can’t overcook the shrimp, yet the oil has to be hot enough so that the brief cook time ensures crisp texture. Then there’s the breading and seasoning. What’s in the wet batter? What’s in the dry batter? How much salt, pepper and other spices do you add to flavor the shrimp without overshadowing its delicate profile?

Before summer 2015 slips completely away and we return to back-to-school order and discipline, I’d like to share my family’s tried-and-true formula for decadent, deep-fried Gulf shrimp.

Corn meal is the perennial favorite for dry battering, but I’d make an argument for cracker meal. We’ve always used it for shrimp (and oysters) because it coats nicely and provides balanced crispy crunch. The trick is to let the battered shrimp sit in the fridge for about an hour before frying. Give it a go this Labor Day or for your next get-together. Enjoy!


Fried Shrimp

Serves 6-8

3 pounds large Gulf shrimp, peeled and deveined (16-20 count)

For the wet batter:
3 egg whites
½ cup whole milk

For the dry batter:
2 cups cracker meal
Salt and pepper to taste*
Canola oil for frying (48-ounce container)**

Combine egg whites and milk in a small or medium bowl. Combine cracker meal and salt and pepper in a glass pie plate or on a large plate. Working about eight shrimp at a time, place the shrimp in the wet batter, then move them to the pie plate and coat each thoroughly with dry batter. Place the shrimp in single layers on a cookie sheet, covering each layer with wax paper. Refrigerate for about an hour.

Fill a medium cast-iron pot or Dutch oven with Canola oil (pour to about 3 inches in depth). Heat to 325-350 degrees. Cook the shrimp in batches for about 3 minutes each, tasting each batch and adjusting the heat if necessary.

*I go for moderate seasoning in the dry batter, opting instead for super-hot cocktail sauce and a variety of others sauces for dipping.
**The amount of oil you use will depend on the size and shape of your frying vessel, but a 48-ounce container will ensure you don’t run short.

Maggie Heyn Richardson is a regular 225 contributor and the author of the new book, Hungry for Louisiana, An Omnivore’s Journey. Reach her through her website, hungryforlouisiana.com