LDub loves shrimp. The first time we took him out to lunch, he tried shrimp for the first time. JDub had ordered shrimp for herself and chicken for him. I think he ended up eating most of her plate! He was probably 6 or 7? Anyway, some kind of shrimp is a requirement at our holiday gatherings. I used this recipe for the shrimp I served at Christmas and it was a hit.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb raw, easy peel deveined large shrimp (I usually by frozen shrimp. It’s one of the only seafood items where I feel like fresh vs. frozen isn’t a deal-breaker)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 lemon, quartered
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cayenne (If you don’t have this or don’t want any heat, use paprika)
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 1/2 cups Panko bread crumbs
- Cocktail sauce
- Canola oil
INSTRUCTIONS
- Peel and rinse shrimp. Pat dry with paper towels.
- Set up your dredging assembly like with three shallow bowls. One for the flour, garlic powder, salt pepper, cayenne mixture, one for the eggs and one for the panko
- Dip each shrimp in flour & spice mix, then egg and finally in panko
- Add two inches of canola or vegetable oil to a deep skillet and heat to 350. NOTE: If you don’t have a thermometer for this, it’s not the end of the world. Heat the oil on med-high heat. You can test the heat by dropping a cube of bread or a kernel of pop corn in the oil. If the pop corn pops, or your bread toasts in one minute, you’re ready to go. If you don’t have either of those items, another method is to stick the end of a wooden spoon into the oil. If you see many bubbles form around the wood and they start to float up, your oil is ready for frying. If it is bubbling hard, the oil is too hot; let it cool a bit and check the temperature again.
- Deep-fry the shrimp in batches, frying about 6 – 8 shrimp at a time, about 3 minutes per side. When they are golden brown, use a slotted spoon or tongs to remove them from the pan, and transfer them to a paper towel lined plate. Continue cooking the shrimp in batches until all shrimp are fried and golden brown.
- Serve with lemon wedges and cocktail sauce