good seafood batter/breading?

18 years ago

I developed a craving for fried shrimp a couple nights ago. I googled a recipe and was pretty disappointed with the results. It was too bready and thick. I'd like a thinner more "grainy" breading next time.

I can't find the exact recipe (that's NOT a bad thing though, recipes such as that SHOULD get lost), but it was something like this:

1 cup flour

1 egg

"some" ice cold water, forgot the amount

salt

pepper

dip shrimp in and fry

I was less than pleased with the results. I wonder if I should have used bread crumbs instead of a batter? What do the restuarants do? I forgot to take the tails off before frying so digging through all that bread to find the tail before eating the shrimp was a lot of work! I ended up throwing half of them away because I just couldn't stand the texture.

I guess that's what I get for not looking for a recipe here first!

What is your favorite seafood batter or breading recipe? Would you use the same one for say catfish as you would shrimp, or would you vary it?

Thanks :o)

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Comments (13)

carrie2
18 years ago
I like panko crumbs for the third step of the three-step breading process. It's especially good for big shrimp.
arlinek
18 years ago
My favorite batter, hands down, is Tempura. Google it and there's lots of similar recipes. It's light and crispy - always served in Japanese restaurants. I'm almost positive (haven't made it in a while) that there's NO egg in it. Made with icy cold water, however, and the batter should be lumpy and NOT smooth when dipping the fish and veggies (if you're so inclined).

arline
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Lars
18 years ago
Try using beer instead of water. I always put egg in mine, but I use one egg for 2/3 cup of flour. If I want it crispy, I use rice flour. You have to experiment to see how thin you want your batter - if it is too thick, add more beer.

Lars
User
18 years ago
Try just flour , salt, pepper and soda water. This works great too for a very light and crispy batter. You can also add garlic powder and other seasoning for whatever suits your taste.

Ann
khandi
18 years ago
The fish batter we really like is 1 cup dry pancake mix and 1 cup beer. Make sure your fish pieces are dry so batter adheres properly. Deep fry until golden.
lindasc
18 years ago
I salt mine and then just roll them in flour, the only way we like them. Egg makes them burn so we go the simplest way.
jimster
18 years ago
The restaurants here on Cape Cod invariably use "dry batter" as opposed to "wet". The batter is a 50/50 mix of cornmeal and flour with a little salt. Seafoods (fish, shrimp, scallops, clams, oysters) are dipped in milk or water, dredged in the batter, dipped in liquid again, dredged again, then deep fried. The crust is thin, crunchy and slightly crumbly. I think this is what you are looking for. The fish and chips around here is exceptionally good.

I also like panko crumbs, especially for shrimp. Dredge the shrimp in flour, dip in egg wash, coat with panko crumbs and fry. The seafood needs to be in small enough pieces to cook quickly, otherwise the coating will get too dark.

Tempura is good too. Arline gave you the essential pointers on that.

BTW, when I do these at home I shallow fry, except for tempura which I think must be deep fried.

Jim
teresa_nc7
18 years ago
Recently my sister fixed fried shrimp and I was invited to dinner! She soaked the shrimp in some beer, lifted them out with a strainer, and tossed them into some cornbread mix (Three Rivers brand) to lightly -very lightly - coat them, then fried in small batches in about 1-2 cups of hot peanut oil. Best I've had in a long time - and - we had homemade cocktail sauce and remoulade sauce served with the shrimp.
jimtex
18 years ago
This is the way I do it.
1 can Carnation milk
2 eggs
1 tbsp baking powder
2 tbsp vinegar
1 cup flour
Mix first four ingredients and add shrimp. Let marinate for 15 minutes or so. Dredge in flour seasoned how you like it and deep fry. This is from Tony Chachere's Cajun Country Cookbook and it's really good.
vacuumfreak
Original Author
17 years ago
Jimster... I did as you suggested and used half flour and half corn meal and seasoned it. I double dipped, using water before each dipping. Fried in vegetable oil (which I promptly spilled on my work khakis when I was cleaning the kitchen before work, that was fun). It was very crispy and very good... much better and easier than the terrible recipe that inspired me to create this thread several months ago. Next time, I think I'll use more flour and less corn meal, half and half is a little too much corn meal for me, but it was still delicious. I pulled the tails off beforehand and they were easier to cook and eat.

I know I'm reviving an old thread, but I just wanted to give feedback... I'm not experienced enough to give advice, but I think if I ever did, I'd like to know if it helped!
dixiedog_2007
17 years ago
vacuum I'm glad Jimster's recipe worked for you as it sounds good. I'm more like Ann though in only using flour. I like cornmeal but it is too much for me also at times. I use it for fish and shrimp.

Now I have a craving. I'm planning on shrimp cooked somehow tonight for dinner - possibly like this?
User
17 years ago
I've used this one of Joe's on shrimp. Very good and light.

Tempura Batter

2 1/4 Cup cake flour (I used regular AP)
1/2 Tsp baking soda
1 Tsp salt
2 Cup cold water
jimster
17 years ago
It was a pleasant surprise to see the new posts to this thread today. I'm glad you got a good result from that "recipe" and I'm glad you reported back on it.

Jim

good seafood batter/breading?

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