Spicy Shrimp

Jim Romanoff, Contributor

Start thinking about Mardi Gras and New Orleans, and it won't be long before you have shrimp on your mind. The celebration will take place on March 8.

The preparation of these party-perfect crispy shrimp with spicy Cajun sauce is somewhat similar to how you might make buffalo wings. Raw shrimp are dredged in a seasoned mixture of quick-mixing or instant-blend flour, cornstarch and beaten eggs, which gets wonderfully crispy when deep-fried.

The golden shrimp are served with a sweet-and-spicy sauce made with hot pepper sauce, mayonnaise and honey, all spiked with a Cajun seasoning blend. The results are as irresistible as a basket of hot wings and, even better, there are no bothersome bones to get rid of.

Crispy Shrimp in Spicy Cajun Sauce

Start to finish: 50 minutes

250ml (1 cup) reduced-fat mayonnaise

50ml (1/4 cup) honey

15-20 ml (3-4 tsp) hot sauce, to taste

15ml (3 tsp) Cajun seasoning blend, or to taste

15ml (3 tsp) salt, divided

Peanut or vegetable oil, for frying

4 large eggs

375ml (1¹/² cups) quick-mixing or instant-blend flour

250ml (1 cup) cornstarch

7 ml (1¹/² tsp) ground black pepper

1kg (2lb) large-sized raw shrimp, shells and tails removed

3 stalks scallion, green parts only, thinly sliced

Method

Sauce: In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, honey, hot sauce, Cajun seasoning and 5ml (1 tsp) of the salt. Set aside.

In a large cast-iron skillet or other heavy skillet over medium, heat about 2cm (³/⁴ inch) of oil to 18C (35F).

Meanwhile, in a shallow bowl, whisk eggs. In a second shallow bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, remaining 10ml (2 tsp) of salt and black pepper.

Working in batches, dip shrimp first into beaten eggs, then in flour mixture to coat well.

Fry shrimp in oil until golden, about one minute per side, adjusting heat as necessary to maintain oil temperature. Use a slotted spoon to transfer fried shrimp to a plate lined with paper towels. Serve with the sauce for dipping.

Makes six servings.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 434 calories; 179 calories from fat (41 per cent of total calories); 20g fat (4g saturated; 0g trans fats); 373 mg cholesterol; 27g carbohydrate; 36g protein; 0g fibre; 992mg sodium.

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