Food Obsession: Popcorn Shrimp

April 11, 2012

My new food obsession is homemade popcorn shrimp. It's hard to resist hot and crispy shrimp that are tender on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Once all your cooking stations are set-up these shrimp cook in a flash, literally. You can serve these popcorn shrimp as is with a side of creamy coleslaw or use them as a base to build a southern style po'boy sandwich.

Ingredients:

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons heavy cream

5 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning

2 cups plain bread crumbs (or cornmeal or panko)

1 pound small shrimp (100 count per pound), peeled

6 cups vegetable oil, for frying

Lemon wedges, for garnish

Directions:

In a medium-sized, non-reactive bowl, combine the eggs, heavy cream, and 2 teaspoons of the Old Bay. Whisk well to combine. In a separate bowl, blend the bread crumbs with the remaining 3 teaspoons of the Essence.

Set a 1-gallon stockpot over medium-high heat, add the vegetable oil, and preheat the oil to 360 degrees F.

To bread the shrimp, take about 1/3 or 1/4 of the shrimp and toss in the egg mixture. Let the shrimp sit in the marinade for up to 5 minutes. Remove and place in the bread crumb mixture. Toss well to evenly coat the shrimp, and use a coarse sieve to sift the excess bread crumbs off into another clean bowl. Repeat the process 2 more times with the remaining shrimp and breading.

Place the breaded shrimp in the hot oil in batches, and fry, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the hot oil using a slotted spoon and drain on a paper-lined sheet pan. Serve the shrimp hot and garnish with lemon wedges.