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Cajun fried shrimp

Cajun fried shrimp in a basket

Cajun fried shrimp

Name: Cajun fried shrimp
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Serves 4 as an appetiser
Ingredients: 500g extra-large raw king prawns (the biggest raw king prawns in the supermarket are often in the frozen section), defrost thoroughly, peel if needed, then pat dry with kitchen paper – if buying from a fishmonger, ask them to peel and de-vein them for you; 1 tbsp hot & herby Cajun spice mix (see below); 284ml tub buttermilk; 100g polenta; 100g cornflour; 1 tsp mustard powder; 4 tbsp mayonnaise; 1 tbsp hot sauce; 2 tbsp paprika; 4 tsp garlic powder; 4 tsp cayenne pepper; 2 tsp ground black pepper; 2 tsp onion powder; 1 tsp dried thyme; 1 tsp dried oregano

Sophie Godwin – Cookery writer

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Serves 4 as an appetiser

Easy

Prep: 10 mins - 20 mins

Cook: 20 mins

(depending on if you are de-shelling your own prawns)

A star rating of 3.6 out of 5.3 ratingsRate

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Fry up a batch of crispy Cajun spiced shrimps – they are completely addictive. Put the beer on ice, too, for an informal dinner with friends and family

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Try this recipe for Cajun fried shrimp, then also check out our Cajun chicken and dirty rice.

Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

500g extra-large raw king prawns

(the biggest raw king prawns in the supermarket are often in the frozen section), defrost thoroughly, peel if needed, then pat dry with kitchen paper – if buying from a fishmonger, ask them to peel and de-vein them for you
1 tbsp hot & herby Cajun spice mix

(see below)
284ml tub buttermilk
100g polenta
100g cornflour
1 tsp mustard powder

For the mayo

4 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp hot sauce

For the Cajun spice mix

2 tbsp paprika
4 tsp garlic powder
4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano

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Nutrition: Per serving

kcal629
fat37g
saturates3g
carbs44g
sugars4g
fibre1g
protein28g
salt1g

Method

step 1

Stir all the ingredients for the mayo together, adding lime juice to taste. Set aside.
step 2

Coat the prawns in ½ tbsp Cajun spice mix. Decant the buttermilk into a bowl and give it a good stir to loosen slightly. In another bowl, mix the polenta, cornflour, mustard powder and remaining Cajun spice mix together.
step 3

Fill a deep frying pan 2 inches full with oil. Heat to 180C on a cooking thermometer, or until a piece of bread browns in 20 seconds when it is dropped in the oil. Dip each seasoned prawn briefly in the buttermilk then coat in the flour mixture. Fry the prawns for 1-2 mins on each side until golden brown and curled. Drain on kitchen paper, then serve with the mayo and lime wedges for squeezing over.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, September 2018

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A star rating of 3.6 out of 5.3 ratings

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