Battered Shrimp (Alexandra Guarnaschelli) |
|
 |
Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 40 Minutes |
Ready In: 40 Minutes Servings: 4 |
|
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:
1. 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.
2. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
3. 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.
4. This is the simplest and best batter recipe. I use it at the restaurant all the time.
|
|