The best shrimp ever!

I don't usually post recipes on my blog (or take pictures of my dinner!), but this is too good not to share! I watched the "Barefoot Contessa" over the weekend and she made onion rings marinated in buttermilk with a flour/cornmeal coating. They looked so good that I thought that same coating might be delicious on shrimp! So I followed the recipe exactly substituting a pound of peeled, deveined, tail-less shrimp for the onion, and OMGosh - it was FANTASTIC!! I wish I had bought another bag of shrimp!! We wolfed it down in no time - here's the recipe so you can try it, too!


1-2 pounds peeled, deveined, tail-less shrimp
2 cups buttermilk
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (medium) yellow cornmeal
1 quart vegetable oil (I used peanut)

Combine the buttermilk, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Add the shrimp, toss well, and allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes. In a gallon-size Zip-lock bag, combine the flour, cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a large pot or Dutch oven. (A candy thermometer attached to the side of the pot will help you maintain the proper temperature.) Working in batches, lift some shrimp out of the buttermilk and dredge them in the flour mixture. Drop into the hot oil and fry for 2 minutes, until golden brown, turning them once with tongs. Don't crowd them and don't overcook them! Drain on paper towels and ENJOY!