What Is Calabash Shrimp?

Calabash is a tiny little fishing town located in Brunswick County, NC. During my childhood, each summer we vacationed at Holden Beach, NC and we always made a trip to Calabash for fried seafood. I loved to order a seafood platter with a little bit of everything. The shrimp were always one of my favorites. I love the little itty, bitty popcorn shrimp, but when I make Calabash Shrimp at home, I typically use larger shrimp.

Calabash-style seafood has a light and crispy batter which really lets the flavor of the seafood shine. The key to getting a light, puffy crust on fried seafood is to use self-rising flour. The leavener in self-rising flour causes the batter to puff up and it makes a really light crust.

overhead shot of Calabash Shrimp with cocktail sauce

The batter is a simple mixture of self-rising flour, garlic salt, black pepper, and paprika. The amount of seasoning is perfect.

Calabash Shrimp Recipe Tips

You can use whole milk instead of evaporated milk.
Peanut oil is best for frying seafood, but it is expensive and sometimes hard to find. Vegetable oil is a good substitute.
Shrimp cook very quickly. You only need to fry them for a few minutes.
Any size shrimp can be used for this recipe. You can also use this batter for fish, scallops, and oysters.