October is when it all comes together for a sports fan. Football is in full swing, hockey and basketball are getting started, and the best in baseball are squaring-off. With all of the exciting action on the field and on our screens, we’ve decided it’s time to step up our snack game.
This year, our go-to game-day snack is our Cajun Popcorn Shrimp. These little golden bites of heaven are easy to prepare, addictively delicious and a real crowd-pleaser. This shrimp is so tasty it might just steal everyone’s attention – even from the big game.
If you are used to battered or bread-crumbed shrimp, you are in for a treat. To maximize the crunch, we coat our shrimp with oats, which are first quickly pulsed in a food processor to give a great texture and ensure they cook quickly. The shrimp emerge from the fryer golden and super-crisp on the outside, and juicy and succulent within.
Our other trick for tasty popcorn shrimp is to let the shrimp sit in the fridge for an hour to soak up all those delicious Cajun flavors before breading. (Our favorite Cajun seasoning mix is just right for our heat-averse tastes, but feel to kick yours up with a pinch or two of cayenne pepper.) After an hour, remove the shrimp from the fridge, then dust in oat flour, dip in egg and roll in the pulsed quick oats.
The shrimp should be fried as soon as possible after breading to ensure they stay light and crisp. Pre-heat oil in a deep fryer or heavy-bottomed pot to 350° F (175° C), then fry your shrimp in two batches. The great thing about shrimp is that it cooks quickly – about three minutes per batch – that’s just enough time for the oats to get crunchy and golden brown.
Pile your shrimp high on a platter and serve with lemon wedges and your favorite dipping sauce – we like ours with cocktail, tartar or remoulade sauce – and watch them disappear. In fact, ours always seem to vanish within a few minutes, so you may want to consider making a double batch.
Whether you’re feeding a roomful of sports fans, or just looking to score a great appetizer, our Cajun Popcorn Shrimp is guaranteed to hit a home run.
Cajun Popcorn Shrimp
Irresistible, bite-sized Cajun-spiced shrimp with a crispy, golden oat breading will be the hit of your next gathering.
Ingredients
- 10 oz shrimp frozen raw peeled, thawed and drained, bag 70/90 (300 g)
- 1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning (15 ml)
- 1/2 tsp salt (2.5 ml)
- 2 tsp canola oil (10 ml)
- 1/2 cup oat flour (125 ml)
- 1 cup quick oats (250 ml)
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- canola oil for frying
Instructions
- Combine shrimp, oil, salt and Cajun seasoning in a bowl, stirring well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.
Preheat oil in deep fryer or deep, heavy-bottomed pot, to 350°F (175°C)
- Pulse oats in food processor to coarsely chop.
- Set up your breading station: place flour, oats and beaten egg in three shallow bowls.
- Remove shrimp from bag and dredge with flour. Shake off excess.
- Transfer shrimp to egg, turning to coat, then roll in quick oats.
- Fry shrimp in batches for 3-4 minutes, or until until breading is golden and shrimp is cooked through.
Remove from oil, drain on paper towel. Serve with wedges of lemon and tartar or remoulade sauce.
absolutely delicious! tasted so good and i would definitely make it again!