Experimentation led to this one...
after hearing a long-time friend wax poetically about this incredible fried shrimp he had in a small-town restaurant in the Florida panhandle. According to "Lawyah Preston" the once hallowed haunt of eating was destroyed in Hurricane Ivan, and it seems the sacred recipe was swept away by the winds too!
In 2011, Jen, the kids, and I (Chris) decided to become part-time residents of a cottage along Florida's Scenic Highway 30-A on the panhandle beach of Seacrest. Our intermittent abode has given us some of the best family times we could ever want, many of which are centered in the kitchen.
Feeling daring, I decided to tell my friend that with adequate experimentation, I was confident we could recreate the magnificent shrimp, and he tells me this recipe is it!
after hearing a long-time friend wax poetically about this incredible fried shrimp he had in a small-town restaurant in the Florida panhandle. According to "Lawyah Preston" the once hallowed haunt of eating was destroyed in Hurricane Ivan, and it seems the sacred recipe was swept away by the winds too!
In 2011, Jen, the kids, and I (Chris) decided to become part-time residents of a cottage along Florida's Scenic Highway 30-A on the panhandle beach of Seacrest. Our intermittent abode has given us some of the best family times we could ever want, many of which are centered in the kitchen.
Feeling daring, I decided to tell my friend that with adequate experimentation, I was confident we could recreate the magnificent shrimp, and he tells me this recipe is it!
INGREDIENTS LIST
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp self-rising flour 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp cornstarch 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 Tbsp coarse salt 1/2 tsp hot paprika 1 cup Pellegrino sparkling water 1/2 tsp minced garlic 2 tsp coarse-ground mustard 1 lb shrimp (Gulf Coast Shrimp being best) canola oil sufficient to fill your deep fryer |
DIRECTIONS
If necessary, peel and devein the shrimp; then butterfly them to maximize the surface area. Mix together the dry ingredients and stir with a whisk to ensure even mixture. Add Pellegrino and mustard and mix with hand-mixer until smooth. Heat oil in deep fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Dip shrimp into batter and drop into deep fryer a few at a time. The batter should leave a relatively light coating on the shrimp and should not puff excessively when fried. If the batter is too thick, thin it with additional Pellegrino. Depending on your preference, the shrimp can be fried to a light or medium golden brown, but it is essential that the shrimp be completely opaque when bitten into after frying. |