3 easy and delicious fried food recipes
It's time to pull out your fryer. While fried foods have a reputation for being difficult to pull off at home, we're here to prove the rumor wrong. With the right set up and a foolproof recipe at your side, it is easy to whip up a batch of hushpuppies or fried shrimp the next time a craving strikes
Just about anything can be battered and cooked in hot oil. Today, we're sharing recipes for three Southern classics — fried shrimp po'boys, hushpuppies tricked out with tender crab, and deep fried 'gator — all with their own unqiue dipping sauces.
Shrimp Po'Boys with Quick Remoulade
Cornmeal battered shrimp — is there anything better between two halves of a crisp-chewy French roll? We think not. Our take on the quintessential New Orleans po'boy brings together perfectly fried shrimp with a quick, ultra-easy remoulade sauce made from mayonnaise, mustard, pickles, capers and a hefty dose of spice. Shredded lettuce and thickly sliced tomatoes are the finishing touches. All you need to complete the meal is a bag of Zapp's potato chips and a bottle of Abita to quickly feel yourself transported to The Big Easy.
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Crab Hushpuppies with Avocado Aioli
Tender crab meat comes together with a scallion-studded hushpuppy batter to create crisp bites of Southern-fried seafood goodness. The batter comes together quickly before being (carefully) scooped into hot oil. We like to use a mini ice cream scoop to shape our hushpuppies, making for a two-bite appetizer that goes perfectly with creamy, rich avocado aioli. And don't be scared off by the aioli — we've made it easy by whipping up the dip in a food processor. It only takes a minute.
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Fried Alligator with "Srirancha"
Bet you've never served alligator at a party before. We've made it easy to transform the 'gator's tail meat into a tender bite-sized nugget — all it takes is a little knife work and a short bath in buttermilk. On the side, we like to serve what we're calling "Srirancha", a.k.a. homemade ranch dressing, jazzed up with a generous squirt of everyone's favorite Thai hot sauce. Make it once and it'll quickly turn into a must-have dip for each and every party.
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Photos Credit: Maura Friedman
Kate Williams is the interim editor-in-chief of Southern Kitchen. She is also an on-air personality on our podcast, Sunday Supper. She has been working in food since 2009, including a two-year stint at America’s Test Kitchen. Kate has been a personal chef, recipe developer, the food editor at a hyperlocal news site in Berkeley and a freelance writer for publications such as Serious Eats, Anova Culinary, The Cook’s Cook and Berkeleyside. Kate is also an avid rock climber and occasionally dabbles in long-distance running. She makes a mean peach pie and likes her bourbon neat.
