There is nothing as anticipated as the succulent local shrimp when you visit the Outer Banks, N.C.
If you live on or visit the Outer Banks, then you know that it’s nearly that time, SHRIMP SEASON! When we look forward to getting plentiful fresh shrimp right off the boat! There is nothing finer that wild-caught North Carolina shrimp lightly fried to perfection.
Most every restaurant here on the Outer Banks serves delicious local shrimp, but we think it’s also great to show off our delicious delicacy when we have visitors. Plus, it’s fun to make together, and that’s part of the Outer Banks lifestyle, sharing and spending time together.
Follow these simple steps to make mouthwatering fried shrimp worth bragging about.
SOURCE YOUR SHRIMP
On the Outer Banks we harvest three main types of shrimp: brown, pink and white. Brown is the most abundant – accounting for nea
rly 70 percent of N.C.’s shrimp harvest. Most brown shrimp are caught in the summer. They are super firm and delicious.
It’s easy to find fresh local shrimp this time of year, of course if you’re looking for the famous and fabulous “greentails” they come closer to shore in the fall, starting around August. They are white shrimp, that are carried by ocean tides into the brackish salt marshes with muddy bottoms after a spawn.
Most sellers will also double bag your shrimp with ice if you don’t bring a cooler and ice, just ask.
Where to buy
- Click here to find local seafood markets to purchase your shrimp for this recipe.
- Fresh off the boat with some of the best prices around visit Endurance Seafood on Colington Island in Kill Devil Hills. The family at Endurance told us you’ll get better value if you buy with “heads on” as they won’t bother to sort them, so you can get some whoppers in the mix.
- Another favorite is Fresh Catch Seafood in Wanchese (you’ll recognize this pair of fishing boat captains from Wicked Tuna Outer Banks as tuna buyers).
Fresh North Carolina seafood is seasonal, so to see when the best time to net your catch, visit North Carolina Sea Grant’s “North Carolina Availability Chart” that shows the peak season for the most popular fish and shellfish.
Learn an easy way to shell and devein shrimp from the video below:
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
- 2 lbs. fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined (*leave the tails on)
- 2 cups yellow ground cornmeal
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs
- 2 Tbsp. Old Bay Seasoning ®
- Oil for frying
For shrimp sauce see below.
DIRECTIONS
- Make up the shrimp sauce first and refrigerate (directions below)
- In a small mixing bowl, combine cornmeal, all purpose flour and seasoning. Which thoroughly.
- In a second small mixing bowl, add eggs and whisk thoroughly.
- In a medium skillet (cast iron is preferred), heat about 3″ oil on medium to high heat (30 degrees). Should sizzle when tested.
- Dredge shrimp through the egg mixture (shake off excess egg) and then dredge through the cornmeal mixture.
- Place in the hot oil and fry on each side until golden brown (about 2 minutes each side). Hint: Try not to overcrowd the shrimp when frying. When shrimp curl up (tuck their tails) they may be done or close to overdone – so keep an eye on them this is a fast process.
- Remove from oil and place on plate with paper towel to drain excess oil.
*By leaving the tails on, you have something to hold onto when dipping in sauce. Plus,if you make this for a crowd it slows them down so they don’t devour them in one fell swoop (they are that good!)
EASY SHRIMP DIPPING SAUCE
- 1 C tomato ketchup
1/2 C minced horseradish
4 tsp. Texas Pete ® or similar hot sauce (optional but a nice way to spice it up).
Mix together and keep refrigerated until the shrimp are ready.
Voila! When shrimp are done, immediately serve on a platter with lemon wedges and shrimp sauce.
Fried shrimp from Bluewater Grill and Raw Bar at Pirate’s Cove (the inspiration for this recipe blog)
BOOK A CHARTER
If you love shrimp, imagine keeping what you catch on a shrimping charter. Enjoy a great day out on the water with your friends and family and you can take home what you catch. If you catch too much (which you will) you can easily dry-ice and ship home, or freeze them. Here are a couple fun charters to check out:
OUTER BANKS SEAFOOD
The fresh seafood on the Outer Banks is legendary. Did you know that Blue Water Grill & Raw Bar have this little motto “You kill it we grill it” or something to that effect. When you experience fishing from a Pirate’s Cove charter boat, you can bring some fillets in and they will cook it up for you (for there or to go). If you aren’t lucky enough to be on a fishing charter, you can still make your way down to the docks to watch the boats come in with their bounty.
See their daily Fishing Report to find out what’s in season.
CONTACT US
If you’re thinking about making the Outer Banks your home full time, or investing in a weekend home or vacation property, give us a call today 252.301.3090, we’d be pleased to help you with your next chapter! #findyourOBXdream