The Coach's Seafood Platter
As a little girl spending the summers at Carolina Beach with my dad and Sharon, we'd go to Big Daddy's in Kure Beach and I always ordered a fried shrimp basket. Summer at the beach and fried seafood just go together if you are from NC. A seafood platter is something everyone splurges on at the beach in the summer. When you live in the seafood capital of South Carolina, Murrells Inlet, you have to remember that you are not on vacation like all of the tourists around you. What I mean is....you can't get caught up in going out to eat all the time unless you want to be broke! The six of us going out for seafood for example would cost us a small fortune. So what to do? You learn to make it yourself with fresh local seafood for a fraction of the cost of going out and oh is it SOOO much better too! A big thank you to all of the fishermen and fish mongers that provide us with the freshest seafood out there. Our local favorites are Independent Seafood in Georgetown, SC and Seven Seas in Murrells Inlet, SC.
NOTE: No seafood platter is complete without hushpuppies! See previous post for hushpuppy recipe.
Ingredients:
1 pound shrimp, peeled
1 flounder filet per 2 people
A good seafood breader
1 egg
1 cup milk
salt & pepper
peanut oil
Preparation:
You can cook these one at a time or have two pans going at the same time if you have help.
Add breader to a bowl or plate.
Add egg and milk to a bowl and whisk together.
Season both bowls with a little salt and pepper.
Heat about a 1/4 inch of peanut oil to medium high in a frying pan.
Soak flounder in milk mixture and then dredge in breader.
(for a thicker coating, repeat that same process again)
Shake off access breader and put it in the hot oil.
Cook for about 2 1/2 minutes per side depending on how thick your flounder is. Keep a close check on it and do not let it burn or get too dark.
Remove to a paper towel lined plated to cool and drain off excess oil.
Repeat this same process for the shrimp and the oysters adding fresh oil and breader when it begins to get low.
Cooking order and times:
Oysters - 2 minutes total, flipping once
Remove to a paper towel lined plate.
Create your platter by serving a few shrimp, oysters, and 1/2 or 1/4 of flounder with sides like cole slaw, boiled potatoes, corn on the cob, etc.
Be sure to have some cocktail and tarter for the table.
