In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, Old Bay, pepper, buttermilk, and eggs until there are no lumps and the mixture is smooth. Set aside.

In another shallow bowl, stir together the panko breadcrumbs, garlic powder, and onion powder.

Dry the shrimp on paper towels.

Working with one shrimp at a time, hold the shrimp by the tail and coat in the batter, allowing any excess to drip back into the bowl.

Next, dredge each shrimp in the panko mixture, pressing to adhere.

Arrange the breaded shrimp on a baking sheet.  Repeat until all shrimp are breaded.

Place the baking pan in the refrigerator while you heat the oil.  The breaded shrimp will hold in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours.

Place a wire rack over a baking sheet and set it aside.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

Pour the oil into the Dutch oven until it is at least 1-inch deep.  

Heat the oil over medium-high heat and heat to 350 degrees on a candy/deep-fry thermometer.

Add about ⅓ of the shrimp, dropping them into the hot oil one at a time.

Fry until golden brown – about 2 minutes after adding the last shrimp. Stir gently to keep the shrimp from sticking together. 

Use a slotted spoon or a spider to transfer the shrimp to the wire rack.  Place the cooked shrimp, on the wire rack over the baking sheet,  in the preheated oven while you cook the remaining shrimp.

Be sure to check the oil temperature and adjust the heat to keep the oil at 350 degrees.

Fry the remaining shrimp, in 2 batches, until golden.

Serve the shrimp warm with cocktail sauce, tartar sauce, or my ‘Special Shrimp Sauce’ (recipe is below).

To make the Special Shrimp Sauce:

½ cup Heinz Ketchup

1 cup Heinz chili sauce

⅓ cup prepared horseradish, drained 

2 teaspoons light brown sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

½ teaspoon very finely grated lemon zest

½ teaspoon hot sauce

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

¼ teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning

Whisk all ingredients in a bowl.  Serve beside the shrimp.