Best Lowcountry Fried Shrimp Recipes

LOWCOUNTRY FRIED SHRIMP

Steps:

• Pour 3 inches of oil into a stockpot or Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat. Beat the eggs with the milk and salt and pour over the shrimp in a bowl, making sure they're well coated. Drain the shrimp in a sieve, shaking well to remove excess. Place the cracker meal on a plate.
• When the oil reaches 365°, roll the shrimp in cracker meal, then place in a dry sieve. Shake off the excess meal over the plate, then fry the shrimp in small batches in the hot oil until golden brown, 1-2 minutes. Larger shrimp will take longer to cook, about 2-3 minutes.
• Remove the shrimp from the oil with a wire mesh strainer and shake off all excess oil or drain on paper towels briefly. Serve hot.

LOWCOUNTRY SHRIMP AND GRITS

Steps:

• Grits: Bring 4½ cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Whisk in the grits and salt, reduce heat to low, and cook at a gently simmer for 35 to 40 minutes or until the grits are thick, stirring occasionally. Stir more often as the grits thicken. Remove the pan from the heat, add the cheddar, parmesan, butter, pepper, and Tabasco, and stir until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Keep warm over very low heat.
• Shrimp: In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon for 6 minutes or until crisp, stirring occasionally. Transfer with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels and leave the fat in the skillet. If there is less than 1½ tablespoons of bacon fat, make up the difference with peanut oil.
• Toss the shrimp with the flour until lightly coated, shaking off any excess. In the skillet with the reserved fat, cook the shrimp over medium-high heat for 1 minute or until they begin to turn pink. Add the mushrooms and bacon and cook for 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds (do not let the garlic brown). Stir in the hot sauce, lemon juice, and scallions and remove from the heat. Divide the grits among 4 shallow bowls and top with the shrimp mixture. Garnish with additional scallions and serve at once.

LOW COUNTRY SHRIMP AND GRITS WITH STEWED TOMATOES

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups water, the milk, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste for the grits to a gentle boil. Whisk in the grits. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the mixture is smooth and thick and falls easily from the spoon, 45 to 60 minutes.
• Towards the end of the cooking time for the grits, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 45 to 60 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes with their juice and the bay leaves. Season with cayenne pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture is slightly thickened, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Increase the heat under the tomatoes to medium high and add the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp are pink and firm, an additional 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the parsley. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. When the grits have thickened, stir in the cheese and butter. To serve, place a heaping spoonful of grits on each plate. Top with the shrimp and tomato gravy. Garnish with additional Parmigiano-Reggiano and chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

OLD CHARLESTON STYLE SHRIMP AND GRITS

Steps:

• Bring water and 2 teaspoons salt to a boil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk grits into the boiling water, and then whisk in half-and-half. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until grits are thickened and tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.
• Sprinkle shrimp with salt and cayenne pepper to taste. Add lemon juice, toss to combine, and set aside to marinate.
• Place sausage slices in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove sausage from the skillet.
• Add bacon to the same skillet and increase heat to medium-high. Cook until evenly browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain, then chop or crumble when cool enough to handle. Leave bacon drippings in the skillet.
• Add bell peppers, onion, and garlic to the bacon drippings; cook and stir until onion is translucent, about 8 minutes.
• Stir cooked sausage and marinated shrimp into the skillet with the cooked vegetables. Turn off the heat and set aside.
• Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, stirring to create a smooth roux. Turn heat to low and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is golden brown in color, 8 to 10 minutes. Watch carefully, mixture burns easily.
• Pour the roux over the sausage, shrimp, and vegetables. Place the skillet over medium heat, add chicken broth, bacon, and Worcestershire sauce, and stir to combine. Cook until sauce thickens up and shrimp turn opaque and bright pink, about 8 minutes.
• Just before serving, mix sharp Cheddar cheese into grits until melted and grits are creamy and light yellow. Serve shrimp mixture over cheese grits.