Thursday, September 27, 2012

Louisiana Cajun Shrimp with Chipotle Mayonnaise





While shrimp may be small in size, they're huge in terms of nutritional value. A rich source of lean protein, vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids, shrimp are low in fat and calories and are also carb-free. A fiery twist on the Creole classic, these Spicy Louisiana Cajun Shrimp with Chipotle Mayonnaise are positively bursting with flavour with a zingy combination of Cajun seasoning, chipotle peppers, a little brown sugar and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Allowed to marinate for at least an hour before either being baked, sautéed or grilled on the barbecue, these Spicy Cajun Shrimp are a quick, easy and delicious appetizer to enjoy anytime with drinks, especially when served with a bowl of rich and creamy Chipotle Mayonnaise.



Spicy Louisiana Cajun Shrimp with Chipotle
Serves 6-8 as an appetizer

1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tail shell intact
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp Cajun seasoning - homemade or store bought
1/2 tbsp chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped

1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 lemon or lime, sliced in wedges for garnish
Salt and pepper, for seasoning



In a large bowl, toss together the shrimp with the olive oil, Cajun seasoning, brown sugar and chopped chipotles in adobo sauce, and mix well to fully coat the shrimp. Cover and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.

Baking: Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread out the marinated shrimp onto a foil-lined baking sheet, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until the shrimp curl up and turn pink, about 10-15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with a garnish of lemon or lime wedges.

Grilling: Preheat an outdoor grill to medium and barbecue shrimp until they curl up and turn pink.

Sautéeing: Preheat a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add about 1/2 tablespoon of oil, and once hot add the shrimp, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook about 2 minutes per side.





Cajun Spice Mix
Makes 1 cup 

5 tbsp kosher salt
2 tbsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
2 tbsp sweet paprika
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp onion powder


For the Cajun spice mix, stir all ingredients together well in a small bowl to blend. Store in an airtight container or ziplock bag for maximum freshness.







Chipotle Mayonnaise
Makes about 1 cup

1 cup mayonnaise
3 canned chipotles in adobo sauce
1 tbsp adobo sauce
1/2 lime, juice

Add all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend. Cover and keep refrigerated until ready to use.








7 comments:

  1. Wow, anything "Cajun" is delicious to me. Just booked a trip to Louisiana.

    Thanks for sharing your delicious food. I will try this soon.

    Jeff

    ReplyDelete
  2. YUMMY!!! I will be trying this soon!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Made this last night and used a pound and a half of shrimp and decided to add more spice. HOLY CRAP. It was REALLY spicy but AMAZING. Seriously delicious, this recipe will definitely be used again. My 3 guests loved it, although they needed some sour cream to cool their mouths, haha. I just suggest anyone who isn't a big fan of heat scale it back. Also the spice recipe makes way too much. I made it with teaspoons instead of tablespoons and it was still a LOT. There was too much mayo sauce too, might want to scale that back for the amount of shrimp called for here.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I just made this tonight and it was OUTSTANDING, this is a repeater for sure! I didn't make any changes to the amounts or anything else and we loved the spice. I even used Tony's extra spicy seasoning (next time if I have time I would like to try your recipe for that as well). The mayo sauce is perfect, although I agree there's a bit too much of it. I will halve it next time. This paired really well with a lemon cream sauce angel hair pasta and well, beer. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Made this tonight and added a little extra of the chipotle adobo sauce and it was a meal in it's own! Didn't even have to make the dip! It would go great with rice next time.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This looks delicious! I love, love, love spicy!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thank you for a wonderful recipe I will certainly try. Now all you need is some music like the Black Keys singing Lonely Boy. Very honky tonk cajun.

    ReplyDelete