Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Beer-Battered Fried Shrimp

Oh I just love seafood, all kinds of seafood; lobster, shrimp, clams, oysters, swordfish, snow crab legs, blue crab, and more!  I especially love fried clams, but not being in the north (my personal opinion is the best fried clams are from Maine), we have to settle for other kinds of seafood. Here in South Carolina, we are very fortunate to have an abundance of fresh seafood, especially shrimp.  I love to buy them fresh from my favorite source, then we eat some right then, and freeze some for use another time ... shrimp scampi, steamed shrimp for peel 'n eat Shrimp (my grandsons favorite), shrimp cevichi, shrimp creole, smoked sausage and shrimp over pasta,  shrimp cocktail and more.  This recipe for Beer-Battered Fried Shrimp has taken a few years to perfect, but I think it's there now and we all love it.


















Ingredients
2 cups self-rising flour
1-2 tsp. garlic powder (or more to taste)
1-2 tsp. course-ground black pepper (or more to taste)
1-2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning (or make your own)
1 - 12 oz. bottle or can beer (any kind)
1-2 lbs. large shrimp

Method
Mix flour and next 3 ingredients together; reserve about 1/2 cup flour mixture and set aside.  Meanwhile whisk in beer to the remaining flour mixture and let batter sit 30 minutes or so (it will get a little bubbly).  Whisk batter again, just slightly right before using. Dredge shrimp, a few at a time, in reserved flour mixture and dip shrimp in batter, allowing excess to drip off; immediately place in hot oil (350-375 degrees - do not overcrowd fryer) and fry several minutes or until batter is puffy and shrimp are cooked through (approx. 3 minutes).  Keep shrimp warm in 200 degree oven while frying the remaining shrimp.  Serve immediately with you favorite sauce. 

Notes - This batter is very light and delicate so it doesn't overpower the shrimp at all.

Cocktail sauce
1/3 cup ketchup
1-2 tsp. horseradish
1 tsp. lemon juice

Tartar sauce
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tbls. pickle relish
1-2 tbls. minced onion (optional)
dash or 2 of Worcestershire sauce

Remoulade Sauce
1 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 teaspoons chopped parsley
1 tablespooon Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
teaspoon horseradish
1 dash paprika

Enjoy,
Mary