Southern Culinary Arts: Buttermilk Fried Shrimp
By habee
culinary arts - southern food
Hmmm...southern food. I was thinking this morning...what do I know a lot about? What kind of hubs can I produce from my life experiences - ones I can write without doing any research, and ones that I think people will enjoy? Well, I know a little about a myriad of topics, but one thing I know LOTS about is being Southern and about culinary arts.
I come from a long line of "Old South" families. They hailed from Charleston, Savannah, and other parts of the Low Country. My maternal grandmother was the quintessential Southern lady, and my great-great grandfather fought in the Civil War. One of the family's slaves was loaned to help build Fort Sumter - but that's a story for another time. This hub is the first of my "Southern Culinary Arts" series. I've decided to have my own online cooking classes and my own online cooking school!
This is a great recipe for fried shrimp. It's my original recipe, perfected through trial and error. These are the best fried shrimp I've ever eaten - anywhere. I hope you enjoy them, too!
Start with raw shrimp in the shell. White shrimp are best. Don't use tiger shrimp for frying. I've found that the medium shrimp are the best to fry. The jumbo shrimp just don't have as much flavor, and the small ones are just too much work to peel and devein. Also, the small ones are easy to overcook when frying.
Peel and devein the shrimp and rinse in cold running water.
Pour a cup of whole buttermilk into a large bowl, and add one beaten egg.
Place the shrimp in the milk bath.
Into a gallon ziploc bag, mix together self-rising flour, garlic salt, and black pepper to taste. Some people prefer cracker meal or corn meal for coating, but I find that the flour adheres better to the shrimp, and they turn out less greasy will flour. If you like, you can use half flour and half corn meal. I also like to add a little red pepper to the mix. Sometimes I add Cajun or Creole seasoning, depending on who will be eating the shrimp.
Into a black iron frying pan, pour your cooking oil. I like to use peanut oil. Heat it on medium to medium-high heat, depending on your stove. To test when the oil is ready, sprinkle a drop of water into the oil. If it sizzles immediately, the oil is hot enough for frying.
Drop a few shrimp at the time into the bag and shake until the shrimp are well coated. Shake the extra flour off each shrimp as you remove them from the bag. Place them in the oil without over-crowding. Brown both sides of the shrimp. Remove onto a platter with several layers of absorbant paper towels.
Serve with cocktail sauce or tartar sauce. Enjoy!
Read more about my online cooking school and online cooking classes, along with real cooking schools, below!
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Comments
Hi, Tammy. Good to see ya! The pre-seasoned skillets are DEFINITELY the best!
Hi, Tammy. Good to see ya! The pre-seasoned skillets are DEFINITELY the best!
Great recipe. Thanks so much.
You're more than welcome, Pop!
I will try your recipe for buttermilk shrimp. Apparently, we were experimenting at the same time. I like yourself discovered that jumbo shrimp don't do well in the skillet and the small ones are in fact way to much trouble. When I cook and serve my shrimp I serve them around lettuce, tomato,pickle and a boiled egg sliced. I also add a little yellow food color to the egg bath it brighten the presentation.
These recipes are great. I like to experiment with different foods and after the usual Christmas nosh such foods sound srummy
Oh. habee, you open a whole new world of cooping up for me. Thank you so much. I like different dishes. It gets on my nerves when I have to cook always the same. Keep writing.
Great minds, Owl, great minds. lol! I'd never thought about the yellow coloring.
Hi, Ethel. I like to try new recipes and dishes, too. Unfortunately, hubby isn't quite as adventurous. lol!
Okay, HH - I really want you to try this recipe. It's one of my faves!
I went to OT school in Charleston at MUSC. This sounds really good. Did you know you can't use cast iron on glasstop/smooth top stoves? We have a new thick bottomed Hamilton Beach skillet that does a great job frying cubed steak though, so I'm sure it would do the shrimp justice.
No, I didn't know that! There should be a law...lol! I cook with my great-grandmother's black iron skillet! I often wonder how many meals that pan has cooked.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! dont EVER test your oil by sprinkling water in it!!! Are you insane??
Well, Joey, I have been accused of being a little crazy. But that's how I always test my oil! And I've never been burned. I use only one or two drops.
Thanks for reading!
hi , susan so you be a yours finests two month at top lushes and plentyfully were is the homemade mack and cheese from scrath. susan been your you wold jello about us southern fishing pro's hee,' hee', fishing are luv u next door neibors
I did this recipe today for lunch. Yummy! I had it with cocktail sauce...The best tasting shrimp Ive had in a while.
CC, glad you liked the shrimp! I made them last night for dinner. Yum!
Another great recipe, habee. I'm going to make mine with the creole seasoning.
Yum, Quildon!
Just saw this and don't think I got this on my postings, when my email was out yet again! Anyhow - it looks delicious....I could gain 10 pounds just reading these things....maybe I have!
Yummy - looks absolutely delicious! Fried anything is my favorite. :)
We went to Red Lobster yesterday, and I ordered the buttermilk shrimp. When the waiter brought out regular shrimp, I told him that's not what I had ordered, and to take them back and bring the buttermilk shrimp. The manager came out soon and asked me what I had ordered. I told her buttermilk shrimp, and informed me that they don't serve buttermilk shrimp! I meant beer-battered shrimp! Buckie, this contest is clouding my mind!!
Steph, you'd make a good southerner!
hi..thanks for listing my cookbook "there's not a healthy recipe in this whole damn book, a guide to southern comfor food". hope if you read it, you enjoyed it. thanks again
Paula, your book is awesome! I'm honored that you visited my article! I'm a Southern cook, also.
Tammy Lochmann 2 years ago
Ha I am first...I did not know you could buy pre-seasoned iron skillets... I have to get one. I can't wait for more about your life in the South. I taught myself how to make fried chicken. Great story!