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Seafood Fritters

Key West style seafood fritters. Can use whatever seafood preferred. 
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 40 fritters
Course: Main Course, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: American, Bahamian, Carribean
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Vegetable mix
  • 1 Cup celery ribs chopped
  • 1 Cup sweet pepper chopped
  • 1/2 Cup onion chopped
  • 1 Tbsp garlic minced
  • 2 tsp hot sauce
  • 1 Tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 tsp old bay heaping
  • 1/2 tsp celery seed
Shrimp
  • 1 Cup Shrimp
  • 1 tsp old bay
  • 1 tsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp hot sauce
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
Batter
  • 2 cup flour all purpose
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 egg
Oil or shortening for frying

Method
 

  1. Preheat your deep fryer or a a high walled skillet or pot with at least 2 inches of oil over medium heat. 
  2. Chop all veggies into about 1/2 inch pieces.  Place in large mixing bowl as finished. Add remaining ingredients in vegetable mix list and set aside. 
  3. Preheat small skillet over medium low heat.
  4. Prep shrimp to be chopped (defrost, devein, remove shell and tail). Chop shrimp into 3/4 inch pieces. Add shrimp and seasonings for shrimp in small bowl and mix to coat.
  5. Optional :Add Tbsp of olive oil to small preheated skillet and add half of vegetable mix. Stir occasionally for 3 minutes until mix becomes fragrant and a few pieces become slightly charred in places.
  6. Add seasoned shrimp pieces to small skillet and cook till pink. Stirring occasionally to promote even cooking. Remove from heat and add to large mixing bowl with vegetables when cooked. 
  7. In a medium mixing bowl combine batter ingredients and combine until smooth. Add to large bowl with vegetables and shrimp. 
  8. Fry scoops of batter in hot oil using about 1 Tbsp per fritter. Place cooked fritter on paper towel lined plate to absorb extra oil. Cooling grate with paper towels underneath work well too. Can keep fritters in 200 degree oven to keep warm. Test one initially to check oil temperature, size of fritter and taste. Re-season or adjust batter as necessary.   Serve with lemon or lime wedges.

Notes

Any seafood can be used in place of shrimp such as conch, crab or scallops. 
Any color of sweet pepper can be used as long as it's not all green. Half green and any variety of other color will work. I prefer half red and half yellow. 
Slightly cooking vegetables is not necessary but adds extra flavor.
Frying tips:
Fritters are overcooked on outside and uncooked inside -
  1. oil could be too hot, add more oil to cool
  2. fritters could be too large, scoop less
Fritters are flat -
  1. too little oil, add more or use pot instead of skillet
  2. batter too thin, add more flour 1/4 C at a time