Making Your Restaurant Better

Southern Seafood Restaurant-Inspired Menu Ideas

21 November 2016

Virginia Caballero

Whether you live in the South or not, you can treat your dinner party guests to the authentic tastes from the southern states. Delight your friends' and family members' palates to a menu filled with Southern restaurant-inspired seafood delicacies. Southern seafood will be appropriate for any type of celebration, such as birthday parties, holiday get-togethers, and summertime backyard barbecues. 

While you don't have to have seafood flown in from the South, your recipes will taste best when you use the freshest selections available to you. Try to use seafood that is in season in your area for the best taste. If you don't have a particular type of Southern seafood, such as catfish, on hand, you can substitute it from something similar that's more readily available. 

Here are some Southern seafood restaurant-inspired dishes for you to consider for your next soiree:

Appetizers

Fried Green Tomatoes with Shrimp Remoulade Sauce

To make this delicious, Louisiana-based dish, start by battering thickly-sliced green tomatoes and pan-frying them until they're crispy and golden brown. Then, make the spicy remoulade sauce by combining mayonnaise, mustard, horseradish, hot sauce, and Cajun seasoning. 

Mix peeled, pan-fried or grilled shrimp into the sauce, and then spoon some over each fried green tomato. 

Smoked Fish Dip

Popular in Florida, smoked fish dip will transport your guests to the tropical state with each bite. To make the dip, combine any type of smoked fish, such as whitefish, with softened cream cheese, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, chopped onion, and any other type of seasoning you'd like to add.

Serve the dip with a variety of crackers and raw vegetables, such as celery and carrot sticks.

Main Courses

Fried Catfish

One of the most popular items found on Southern seafood restaurants' menus is fried catfish. You can use your favorite fish batter for this dish, although the most common ones in the South are cornmeal and beer batters. If you prefer a little heat in your batter, add a few drops of hot sauce to the mix.

Fry the fresh catfish, or any type of white fish that you can find locally, until it's golden crisp. Serve with homemade tarter sauce, hush puppies, coleslaw, and french fries for an authentic Southern dining experience. 

Shrimp and Grits

Another well-known Southern seafood staple is shrimp and grits. Start by making creamy stone-ground grits, and adding cheddar cheese, sour cream, and butter if you desire a richer flavor. 

Pan-fry large peeled an deveined shrimp in olive oil, adding any seasonings you'd like. Serve the shrimp over the grits and top with chopped green onions and parsley. 

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