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Grace's Fried Shrimp

Source of Recipe

From "Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking" by Nathalie Dupree


Recipe Introduction

"This is one of my favorite stories about cooking, and why I tend to give detail in my directions and ingredients. Grace Reeves, a mountain woman who lived in a trailer on our property, started working with me when we opened our restaurant midway between Social Circle and Covington, Georgia, and worked there until we closed. Grace had never seen shrimp before she married Bill, but he was from the shore and loved both fishing and eating seafood, and made regular fishing trips. One day early in their marriage, Grace wanted to surprise him and began frying shrimp for his supper. Bless her heart, when he walked in and saw what she was doing, he said, 'Grace, honey, you must peel the shrimp before you fry it.'"

List of Ingredients

â—¦ â…” cup all-purpose flour
â—¦ ¼ cup cornmeal
â—¦ 2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
â—¦ ½ cup milk, or more as needed
â—¦ 1 egg
â—¦ ½ to 1 teaspoon ground hot red pepper
â—¦ Shortening or vegetable oil for frying
â—¦ 2 pounds raw medium or large shrimp, peeled and deveined
â—¦ Freshly ground black pepper


Recipe

Mix together the flour, cornmeal, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir or whisk in the milk, egg, and hot red pepper, adding an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk if needed to make a loose but not runny batter. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside. (This may be done several hours in advance.)

When ready to serve, heat an iron skillet over medium heat with enough oil to come halfway up its sides to 375 degrees on a deep-fat thermometer. Using tongs, dip the shrimp into the batter and immediately into the hot oil, without crowding the pan. Fry 2 to 3 minutes, or until done, turning midway, when the first side is pink. Remove with a slotted spoon or flat strainer and drain on paper towels. Keep cooked shrimp on a foil-lined baking pan in a 200-degree oven to keep warm while frying the remaining batches. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot!

Serves 4