Calabash Shrimp
Named after a tiny fishing town on the Carolina coast, Calabash Shrimp feature a light and crispy coating. It’s perhaps the best fried shrimp you’ll ever eat!
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Calabash, North Carolina is located at the very southern tip of the North Carolina coast. This tiny fishing village is about an hour south of Wilmington, NC and 30 minutes north of Myrtle Beach, SC. With a population of just 2,000, it might seem easy to overlook this town. However, Calabash is nicknamed the “Seafood Capital of the World,” and for good reason!
What is Calabash Shrimp?
Calabash style shrimp are famous up and down the Carolina coast. Calabash Shrimp are fried shrimp that are served in generous portions in seafood restaurants in the coastal towns of the Carolinas. Calabash Shrimp doesn’t necessarily refer to shrimp from Calabash, NC. Instead, Calabash Shrimp is a style of fried seafood.
Ok, cool. Fried shrimp. So what makes Calabash Shrimp different? It’s the batter. The shrimp are first dipped into a batter of evaporated milk and eggs and then into a bowl of seasoned self-rising flour. The self-rising flour is a key element here. Once those shrimp go into the hot oil, the batter turns into a light, airy, crispy battered crust. It’s truly delicious! One bite, and my wife and I looked at each other and said, “These are the best fried shrimp ever!!”
On the shrimp side, Calabash Shrimp are deveined, peeled and tail-off. That way you can just pop the fried shrimp into your mouth one after another. Calabash Shrimp are also on the smaller side, sometimes called “creek shrimp,” “baby shrimp” or “popcorn shrimp.” And since these shrimp are smaller, it’s customary to be served a huge portion whenever you order Calabash Shrimp in seafood restaurants along the Carolina coast. Oh, and they’re typically served with a plate of hot hush puppies, too!
While this recipe is for shrimp, it should be noted that this same batter can be used for other seafood as well – oysters, crabs, clams and mussels are all common items in Calabash-style seafood. We’re partial to the shrimp here in our house, although I want to try this recipe using chopped chicken breast. (Sure, it wouldn’t be the same as Calabash seafood, but I bet that would be the best popcorn chicken ever!)
Ingredients
- Liquid Batter. Evaporated milk and eggs get whisked together to form the first part of the batter for Calabash seafood. You won’t need too much – just enough to cover the shrimp or other seafood.
- Dry Batter. Self-rising flour, garlic salt, pepper and paprika combine to create a seasoned coating for the shrimp after they have been dipped into the liquid batter.
- Shrimp. As noted above, the shrimp should be peeled, deveined and tail-off. Calabash Shrimp are also typically small – perfect for popping into your mouth once they’re fried to perfection!
How to Store Leftovers
Leftover shrimp should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, place in a 400°F oven or toaster oven for 10-12 minutes, or until crispy. I do not recommend freezing the shrimp once they have been fried as the coating will not become crispy again.
If you’re looking for an amazing fried shrimp recipe, then put this one of the list! We visit the Carolina coast several times a year, and we always (always!) get Calabash Shrimp a couple of times each trip. The only surprising thing is how quickly the entire batch of fried shrimp will disappear! Cheers!
Did you make this Calabash Shrimp recipe at home? Leave a comment or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!
Calabash Shrimp
Ingredients
- 2 cups canola or vegetable oil for frying
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 1½ cups self-rising flour
- ¾ tsp garlic salt
- ¾ tsp black pepper
- ¾ tsp paprika
- 2 pounds medium-size shrimp peeled, deveined and tails removed
- lemons for serving
- cocktail sauce or tartar sauce for serving
Instructions
- Using a Dutch oven, deep fryer or large, heavy pot, add 2” of oil. Place over medium-high heat until oil reaches 350°F.
- Using a shallow bowl, whisk together eggs and evaporated milk.
- Using a second shallow bowl, whisk together self-rising flour, garlic salt, pepper and paprika.
- Working in batches, dip shrimp first into the egg mixture and then into the flour mixture.
- Fry shrimp until light golden brown, ~2 minutes per side.
- Transfer cooked shrimp to plate lined with paper towels (or a brown paper grocery bag. Repeat frying process with remaining shrimp.
- Serve hot with fresh lemons and cocktail sauce or tartar sauce.
Looking for recipes that would go well with fried seafood? Check out these other favorites:
Thanks for making me hungry BTW cant wait to make your recipes soon for me
I hope you enjoy this recipe, Ramya!
yum. I don’t deep fry but these do look good!
I totally get it, Mimi. Frying is a rather messy process…but these Calabash Shrimp make it worth it!
Yum!!!
Thanks so much, Barb!
This is so outside of my normal cooking, David – which makes it doubly interesting. I don’t do a lot of this kind of frying, and I don’t often cook with shrimp. But this sounds just too good to not try.
To be honest, we don’t fry a whole lot either, Jeff. It’s a process, and it’s messy. But sometimes you just need to break out of the routine…and these Calabash Shrimp are seriously the best fried shrimp we’ve ever eaten!
This makes me hungry, David! I love fried shrimp—the ordinary kind is already delicious—so I can just imagine how amazing the extra light and crispy crust would be.
Oh, the crust on these Calabash Shrimp is absolutely amazing, Frank. I can’t recommend this recipe enough!
Not all coating looks nice and crisp (and not soggy/ oily), but the battered shrimp you’ve got look so inviting and tasty. And I love the use of evaporated milk; it’s such an interesting touch.
There’s nothing worse than soggy/oily fried seafood! This Calabash Shrimp recipe is quite the opposite…and it’s SO good. Thanks, Ben!
you have me salivating here David. I do love a prawn! I had a bit of a giggle when i saw the town’s name. Calabash is a gourd-shaped plant/fruit, as you would know. Do they grow them there? 🙂
sherry
Interesting. I have no idea how Calabash, North Carolina got it’s name. Maybe it is related to the gourd? I can say that this recipe definitely doesn’t involve a gourd, though! 🙂
I can’t believe I’ve never heard of these before! You’ve taken fried shrimp to a whole new level of awesome. Great step by step instructions and I loved the simple and minimal ingredient list. Serving these with a side of hush puppies… that is one heavenly indulgence right there!
Oh you have GOT to try this fried shrimp recipe, Heidi. It’s absolutely delicious – best fried shrimp we’ve ever had!
We were in Calabash last summer, and I got addicted to the Hush Puppies there! So much so that we were buying extra Hush Puppies to take home. But, I never got around to check out the shrimp (mostly cos I was stuffing my face with those Hush Puppies). But now, thanks to your recipe, I can make some at home. These look fantastic, David!
Are Calabash hush puppies different than regular hush puppies? Now you’ve got me wondering! These shrimp are seriously the best fried shrimp we’ve ever eaten. Now I’m off to learn more about their hush puppies!
Now that’s some seriously tempting shrimp, David! I love a good fried prawn, and that light Calabash-style coating sounds like absolute perfection, crispy, airy, and just enough to let the seafood shine. I’ve never tried the evaporated milk + self-rising flour combo before, so I’m keen to give this a go. And hush puppies on the side? Count me in!
The light coating using self-rising flour is the key to these shrimp. And I’m not kidding when I say these are the best fried shrimp we’ve ever had! I highly recommend making a batch, Raymund!
I, too, had the opportunity to over indulge in the most absolute greatest shrimp ever. We were at an all-you-can-eat & boy did my husband take that to heart – 3 plate full. So glad to have the recipe now.
Thanks.
All-you-can-eat Calabash shrimp sounds like my heaven, Crystal! And it sounds like your husband got his money’s worth. 🙂 Give this recipe a try at home sometime and let me know what you think!