Keto Southern Fried Shrimp

Ingredients

• 1 ¹/₂ tsp paprika
• ¹/₂ tsp thyme
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ¹/₄ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp flaked sea salt
• ¹/₄ tsp cracked black pepper
• ³/₄ cup whey protein powder or egg white protein powder (75 g/ 2.7 oz)
• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp heavy whipping cream or coconut milk (15 ml)
• ¹/₂ tsp hot sauce, or to taste
• ¹/₂ tsp Dijon mustard
• 350 g peeled raw shrimp (12.4 oz) - or you can use whole raw shrimp and peel (approx. 600 g/ 1.3 lb)
• about 2 cups oil for deep frying (avocado, ghee or coconut oil) for frying
• 2 cups shredded white cabbage (140 g/ 5 oz)
• 1 cup shredded red cabbage (70 g/ 2.5 oz)
• 1 medium celery, sliced (40 g/ 1.4 oz)
• 1 medium spring onion, sliced (15 g/ 0.5 oz)
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• ¹/₃ cup paleo mayonnaise (74 g/ 2.6 oz) - you can make your own mayo
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• pinch of sea salt

Instructions

1. Begin by peeling (if not pre-peeled), deveining and butterflying the prawns. For a video on how to do this, click here.
2. Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl: paprika, thyme, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, a pinch of salt, pepper and protein isolate powder (whey or egg white).
3. In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients: egg, cream (or coconut cream), hot sauce, Dijon mustard and a pinch of salt.
4. Coat the prawns by first dipping the shrimp in the wet ingredients then into the dry, shaking off the excess egg and whey mix in-between. Do this in small batches of 5 prawns at a time. To avoid clumping, you can split the whey mix into two and keep replenishing the bowl.
5. To deep fry, add your chosen oil (avocado, ghee or coconut) to a deep pan (I used 19 cm/ 7.5"), enough for the shrimp to be fully submerged. (I used about 2 cups of oil but note only about ¹/₃ cup of oil will contribute to the nutrition facts, the remaining oil is discarded.)
6. Heat the oil until hot. Once hot, fry the shrimp on a medium-low heat (careful of the oil splashing) until golden and cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. It’s best to do this in small batches of about 5 shrimp at a time to allow even cooking and no clumping.
7. Drain the shrimp from the oil with a slotted spoon. Place on kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil whist you repeat the frying for all the shrimp.
8. To make the slaw, simply mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.
9. Serve the fried shrimp with the prepared slaw. Optionally, serve with more mayonnaise.
10. These shrimps taste the best when served fresh. The batter will go soft if stored in the fridge but can be reheated in the oven to restore some of the crispness. The slaw will keep in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 4 days.

Nutrition (per serving, 8-10 shrimps + 1 cup slaw)