Crispy Italian Fried Shrimp with Lemon-Garlic Aioli

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Shrimp butterflied flat, coated in a three-stage flour-egg-crumb breading with parmesan and lemon zest, and shallow-fried in an inch of 350°F oil. You get the shattering crust of a restaurant fry basket from a single skillet, with a bright garlic aioli for dipping.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb large shrimp (26/30), peeled and deveined, tails on
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 3/4 cup fine dried Italian-style breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan
• 2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 clove garlic, grated on a microplane
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• salt to taste

• 4 cup neutral oil such as peanut, canola, or vegetable (about 1 inch deep)
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• flaky sea salt for finishing

Instructions

1. Make the aioli first so it can sit: whisk the mayonnaise, grated garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, Dijon, and parsley in a small bowl. Season with a pinch of salt, cover, and refrigerate at least 20 minutes.
2. Prep the shrimp. Working with a paring knife, cut a little deeper along the deveining slit down the back of each shrimp so it opens and lies flatter — this is what gives you those wide, crunchy restaurant-style shrimp. Rinse briefly, then dry them aggressively: spread on a paper-towel-lined tray, blot the tops, and let them sit 5 minutes. Wet shrimp is the #1 reason breading slides off.
3. Toss the dried shrimp with 1 teaspoon fine sea salt and the garlic powder and set aside while you build the breading station.
4. Set up three shallow dishes. Dish 1: flour, cornstarch, kosher salt, and black pepper, whisked. Dish 2: eggs beaten with the water until completely uniform and loose. Dish 3: panko, fine breadcrumbs, parmesan, parsley, lemon zest, oregano, and red pepper flakes, rubbed together with your fingers so the cheese and zest distribute evenly.
5. Bread the shrimp dry-wet-dry. Drop 4 or 5 shrimp into the flour, toss, then lift and shake off every loose speck. Drag through the egg and let the excess drip off for a second or two. Land in the crumbs and press firmly with your palm on both sides so the coating anchors. Transfer to a wire rack. Repeat with all the shrimp, keeping one hand for dry and one for wet if you can.
6. Let the breaded shrimp rest on the rack for 10 to 15 minutes at room temperature. The coating hydrates and glues itself on, so it won't blow off in the oil.
7. Pour oil into a 12-inch cast-iron or heavy skillet (or a wide Dutch oven) to a depth of 1 inch — no more than one-third up the sides. Heat over medium-high to 350°F, checking with an instant-read or clip-on thermometer. Set a clean wire rack over a sheet pan next to the stove.
8. Fry in batches of 6 to 8, laying the shrimp in so they don't touch. They should sizzle vigorously; keep the oil between 340°F and 355°F, adjusting the burner between batches. Fry 60 to 75 seconds, flip with tongs or a spider, and fry another 45 to 60 seconds until deep golden and the shrimp are just opaque — total 2 minutes or so. Do not go past 3 minutes or they'll turn rubbery.
9. Lift to the wire rack (never paper towels, which steam the crust soft) and season immediately with flaky salt while glistening. Let the oil come back up to 350°F before the next batch, about 1 minute.
10. Pile the shrimp on a platter, tuck in lemon wedges, and serve right away with the chilled aioli. Squeeze lemon over only at the table so the crust stays crisp.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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