Cajun Popcorn (Batter-Fried Crawfish) Recipe - NYT Cooking

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Total Time1 hour 30 minutesRating5(7)CommentsRead comments

Cajun popcorn is an irresistible appetizer made with deep-fried crawfish. Paul Prudhomme, the chef and owner of K-Paul’s Restaurant in New Orleans, shared this recipe in 1983 with Craig Claiborne. It was featured in a menu for an economic summit held in Williamsburg, Va. Mr. Claiborne created three days of meal programming that he hoped would display the geographic and gastronomic diversity of the United States. If crawfish is not readily available where you live, look for frozen crawfish tails online.

Featured in: All-American Menus for the Economic Summit

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 8 servings

2pounds crawfish tails, peeled, or very small shrimp, peeled and deveined
2eggs, well beaten
1¼cups milk
½cup corn flour (see note)
½cup all-purpose flour
1teaspoon sugar
Salt to taste if desired
½teaspoon granulated garlic
½teaspoon granulated onion
1teaspoon finely ground white pepper
⅛teaspoon finely ground black pepper
½teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼teaspoon dried thyme leaves
⅛teaspoon pulverized ground bay leaves
Oil for deep frying
Garlic mayonnaise

Add ingredients to Grocery ListIngredient Substitution GuideNutritional Information

Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

578 calories; 40 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 24 grams monounsaturated fat; 11 grams polyunsaturated fat; 19 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 36 grams protein; 639 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Preparation

Step 1
Prepare the crawfish or shrimp and set aside.
Step 2
Blend eggs and milk; beat well.
Step 3
In a large bowl, combine the corn flour and all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, garlic, onion, peppers, thyme and bay leaves. Blend well. Gradually add the milk mixture, stirring well with a whisk. Let stand one hour at room temperature.
Step 4
Heat one inch of oil in a black iron skillet or use a deep-fat fryer. It is important that the oil be heated to a temperature as close to 370 degrees as possible. Coat the seafood with batter and drop it a few pieces at a time in the hot fat. This will be done in several batches. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown all over, about two minutes total cooking time.
Step 5
As the food is cooked, drain well of paper towels. Serve with garlic mayonnaise on the side.

Tip

Corn flour is available at many health food stores. If not available, use white flour.

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Private

I've been making this off and on for years, using, I think Paul Prudhomme's own recipe -- he, of course, wants us to use HIS bottle of spices for seasoning, but I use something called The Spice Hunter Cajun Creole Seasoning, which is pretty close to the same thing. Just looked at my recipe and it has a STERN warning not to cook them longer than 30 seconds, NOT 2 minutes, otherwise they will toughen.

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