Sauce:
190 ml mayonnaise
120 ml sweet chili sauce
How to Make Crispy Fried Shrimp
Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Line a large plate with paper towels and set aside.
In a cake pan or pie plate, whisk together the eggs and buttermilk. Add 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
In another cake pan, combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.
Add the shrimp to the egg mixture and coat well. Add the shrimp a few at a time to the flour and coat well. Arrange on a clean plate while you batter the remaining shrimp.
Add the shrimp to the skillet, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Fry for 3 minutes, until crisp and golden. Drain on the prepared plate. Continue until all the shrimp are fried.
Sauce
Mix the mayonnaise and sweet chili sauce in a dipping bowl.
Notes
Mess-free breading of shrimp:
First, to prepare your breading station, you’ll ideally need two pie or cake pans. You can use bowls if necessary, but the wide, shallow shape of pie or cake pans makes the process much easier.
One cake pan will hold the wet ingredients, in this case, an egg and buttermilk. The second pan will hold the dry ingredients: flour, cornmeal, and spices for a rich flavor.
Use one hand (I usually use my left, as I move from left to right) to coat the shrimp in the egg mixture. Pick up the shrimp with your wet hand and dip them into the flour mixture. Then use your other hand to gently coat them.
Since you don’t have to go back and forth with both hands, they don’t get sticky and gross. One hand holds the egg and the other the flour, but without lumps.
