Main Dishesbonappetit
Crispy Fried Shrimp and Giardiniera
How do you make fried shrimp better? By adding giardiniera to the mix. Here the duo gets coated in a vodka-spiked batter to create a remarkably crisp exterior.
👥 4 Servings👤 Jesse Szewczyk📖 bonappetit
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- ●baking sheet
- ●bowl
- ●colander
- ●whisk
- ●saucepan
- ●dutch oven
- ●oven
📝 Preparation Steps
1
Shrimp and Giardiniera
2
Scatter two 12-oz. jars vinegar-based giardiniera, drained (about 3 cups), over a rimmed baking sheet lined with paper towels. Set aside any pieces that are too small to batter and fry for using in sauce (smaller than a marble is a good gauge). Arrange 12 oz. large shrimp, peeled, deveined, on same baking sheet; pat giardiniera and shrimp dry with paper towels. Transfer to a large bowl, add ¾ cup cornstarch, and toss with your hands to coat thoroughly; reserve baking sheet. Transfer to a large-mesh sieve or a colander and shake off excess cornstarch over bowl; discard. Pat reserved baking sheet dry if needed and arrange shrimp and giardiniera on baking sheet in a single layer.
12-oz. jars vinegar-based giardiniera, drained (about 3 cups)2. large shrimp, peeled, deveined12 oz
3
Whisk ¾ cup plus 2 Tbsp. (110 g) all-purpose flour, 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, 1 tsp. baking powder, and remaining 1½ cups cornstarch in a medium bowl to combine. Pour in 1 cup vodka and ½ cup water and whisk until batter is smooth.
. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt2 tsp. baking powder1 tspvodka1 cup
4
Pour about 2 quarts vegetable oil into a medium Dutch oven or large heavy saucepan fitted with thermometer to come 3" up sides. Heat over medium-high until thermometer registers 400°. Reduce heat to medium to maintain temperature.
Vegetable oil (for frying; about 2 quarts)
5
Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Working one at a time, dip shrimp into batter, allowing excess to drip back into bowl, and carefully drop into oil until you’ve created a single layer across surface. Fry, turning often, until golden brown, about ⏱️ 5 minutes. Using a spider or slotted spoon, transfer to rack and season with flaky sea salt. Adjusting heat as needed to maintain temperature, repeat process with remaining shrimp, then giardiniera, frying vegetables 6–⏱️ 8 minutes.
Flaky sea salt
6
Sauce and Assembly
7
Finely chop reserved giardiniera pieces and place up to 2 Tbsp. in a small bowl (it’s okay to skip this if you didn’t reserve any). Add 1 garlic clove, finely grated, ½ cup plus 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise, 2 Tbsp. thinly sliced chives, 1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest, 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice, ½ tsp. hot sauce, ½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce, ¼ tsp. Diamond Crystal or Morton kosher salt, and ¼ tsp. sugar; whisk to combine. Season sauce with more kosher salt if needed.
. thinly sliced chives2 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest1 tsp. fresh lemon juice2 tsp
8
Arrange fried shrimp and giardiniera on a platter. Serve with sauce for dipping and lemon wedges for squeezing over. Do Ahead: Sauce can be made 5 days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container; cover and chill.
Lemon wedges (for serving)
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