Battered Shrimp
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 6 servings
- Calories
- 1585
- Total Fat
- 153
- Saturated Fat
- 10
- Carbohydrates
- 32
- Dietary Fiber
- 2
- Sugar
- 0
- Protein
- 20
- Cholesterol
- 122
- Sodium
- 755
- Total: 40 min
- Cook: 40 min
Ingredients
1 (8-ounce) bottle beer (recommended: Heineken)
1 (2-ounce) "shot" vodka (the cheaper the better)
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus a little extra, if needed
1 tablespoon paprika
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound "16/20" size shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails attached
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 cups vegetable oil
About 20 basil leaves, stemmed, washed and dried
1 lemon, thinly sliced
Directions
- Pour the beer into a medium-size bowl and stir in the vodka. Slowly whisk in the flour and the paprika. The batter should be fairly thick, but also easy to stir. Set aside in a warm place. "Press" the garlic clove into another bowl and stir in the olive oil and shrimp. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Set aside. Pour the oil into a heavy-bottomed pot (or, alternatively, a deep-fryer). Heat the oil slowly to 370 F. Use a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature. Line a baking sheet with a kitchen towel or paper towels to drain the shrimp once they are cooked.
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
- Arrange the basil leaves on a sheet pan. Put the pan in the oven for 2 minutes, just to wilt the basil a bit, if the basil is young and tender this step is not necessary. Wrap a basil leaf around the middle of each shrimp like a belt. When ready to serve, dip the shrimp into the batter and drop, in small batches, into the oil. Fry until crispy, turning on both sides with a slotted metal spoon. Add the lemons into the oil and fry until crispy. Drain them on the lined baking sheet and season immediately with salt. Transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately.
Cook’s Note
This is the simplest and best batter recipe. I use it at the restaurant all the time.