Can't Stop

My Fourth of July post was really just the beginning.  Because when I go to New England, I can't help myself, I just can't stop eating seafood.  I had grilled shrimp, fried clams (twice), fried haddock, clam chowder, steamers, a lobster and shrimp cake, haddock and clam bouillabaisse, an a hot lobster roll (butter, not mayonnaise). Then when we got home, my parents invited us over for some crab salad.  It has been heaven. I cannot compete with how fresh and delicious the seafood is up there, but on the other hand, I just can't stop eating it!! These fried shrimp will assist me in my serious efforts to completely block my arteries with butter and oil, because they are so delicious, you can't stop eating them either. Go ahead, make them and let me know!

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 C flour

1 T Emeril's "Essence"

9 oz of good beer

vegetable oil for frying

INGREDIENTS FOR ESSENCE:
2 1/2 T paprika
2 T salt
2 T garlic powder
1 T black pepper
1 T onion powder
1 T cayenne pepper
1 T dried oregano
1 T dried thyme

DIRECTIONS:
Pat the shrimp dry.  In a large, heavy pot or pan (I use a dutch oven usually), pour in enough oil to deep fry your shrimp. This should be a couple of inches deep.  You'll want a thermometer for the oil, so that you can tell when it's ready.  I fry between 350 F and 375 F.  Put your oven on low (200 F?) and line a cookie sheet with a few layers of paper towel.  This way when your shrimp are cooked, you'll be able to lay them on the sheet and pop them in the oven to keep warm.  In a large bowl, combine the flour and essence. Quickly dredge the shrimp so that they have a thin layer of flour on them.  Then pour the beer into the rest of the flour/essence mixture while whisking so that there are no lumps.  Dip about 5-6 shrimp in the beer batter and sort of hold them up so the excess drips off a bit.  It's a pretty light batter, so if you notice the shrimp aren't really getting covered, don't worry about letting the excess drip, just coat them.  When the oil is warm enough, gently place the group of shrimp in the oil.  Wear long sleeves, oil hurts like heck when it spatters.  Flip them using metal tongs after about 2 minutes. They'll only need about 2-6 total minutes, how long depends on if you little shrimp or HUGE ones.  If yours are really big, put fewer in the pot at once.  I use a spider to fish them out and drop them on the tray I've prepared.  Let the oil come back up to temperature before starting your next batch.  When they're done, you are allowed to eat them.  But don't blame me if you can't stop.  I warned you!!