Low Carb Cricket Cajun Argentine Prawns

LOW CARB CRICKET CAJUN ARGENTINE PRAWNS

Low Carb Cricket Cajun Argentine Prawns. 1.5g carbs per serving.

Low Carb Cricket Cajun Argentine Prawns

Fancy something different? A little bit wacky? Looking for an alternative protein source? Do you love cajun seasoning? Want to shock/amaze/impress dinner guests? Answering yes to any of those questions means you’ve landed in the right place.



Let me present a delicious and super quick, keto-friendly dish that you will totally fall in love with. In fact, if you want to host a dinner event that won’t be forgotten in a hurry, this is the way to do it. You’ll not only serve up a delicious dish, but also have an instant discussion topic that will keep everyone entertained for the entire meal. And, for once, that topic won’t be keto!

That’s right. The word ‘cricket’ in the recipe and post title wasn’t just a slip of the fingers on the keyboard… you really will be eating bugs if you decide to give this recipe a try.Low Carb Cricket Cajun Argentine Prawns

But before you click away form this page full of horrific thoughts going through your head, let me clarify that you won’t actually serve bugs. No-one will see insects on their plate, either dead or alive. [ I can almost hear your sigh of relief….LOL ]

You will be using flour made from insects. Basically, dried crickets ground to a fine flour.Low Carb Cricket Cajun Argentine Prawns

Wait! Don’t go! I know it sounds gross, but it really isn’t. Asian populations have been eating critters for centuries, and now that the Western world is embracing alternative sources of protein to combat the unsustainability of cattle farming, bug-eating is gaining exposure at a very fast pace. So much so that you can now find several food outlets in London offering insects on their menus.

Why I Chose Cricket Flour for Low Carb Cricket Cajun Argentine Prawns.

To be honest, it kind of chose me. A young new Italian company operating from London, FutureFoodShop, sent me some samples of their critter products to try out. With such low carb macros, the cricket flour got my attention, so I thought I’d start with that one.  The other products are kind of creeping me out, especially the whole dried bugs. They’re not really singing to me yet, so they’ll stay put until I have a light-bulb moment (hopefully) and the courage to do something with them (feel free to offer any ideas).

If you’re interested in trying out their insect-based and other sustainable produce, you can obtain a discount by buying directly from FutureFoodShop and using code queenketo10 at checkout (time-limited offer).

Low Carb Cricket Cajun Argentine Prawns

So, what does one do with cricket flour? Exactly!!!!! Unexpectedly, when I opened the pack a vague fishy/earthy smell wafted into my nose. A seafood idea jumped (pun intended) at me, and I decided to run with it. Both ketohusband and I were totally impressed with the result. So much so that I’ve made this dish 3 times in the last fortnight. The cricket flour really does enhance the flavour of the prawns.

I had no idea then, but I’ve since read that insects are arthropods, just like crustaceans, so it makes sense that they should be sort of fishy and complement each-other. Who knew! I had taken a wild guess and it had paid off. Happy days.Low Carb Cricket Cajun Argentine Prawns

How to Make Low Carb Cricket Cajun Argentine Prawns

This is such a ridiculously easy dish it’s almost embarrassing to call it a recipe. I didn’t use shop-bought cajun seasoning, because there’s absolutely no need. It’s easy to make your own just by putting a few spices and dried herbs together. And this way, you can adjust amounts and ratios to suit your individual taste buds. I detest onions, for example, so for my cajun mix, I simply omit the onion powder – which would be in a shop-bought seasoning jar. If you like your food hot, add extra chilli powder, or even throw in some chilli flakes. Hate cloves? Leave them out. You really can design-your-own cajun mix to suit your palate.Low Carb Cricket Cajun Argentine Prawns

Low Carb Cricket Cajun Argentine Prawns
Plump, meaty, ocean-caught prawns are unbeatable.

Low Carb Cricket Cajun Argentine Prawns are created by coating wild-caught prawns in cajun seasoning, cricket flour, garlic and extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), and then by cooking them on high heat on a griddle pan smeared with EVOO.

A few minutes each side is all that it takes for a succulent, luxurious, tasty plate of food that would cost a small fortune if you were to eat it in a restaurant.

Low Carb Cricket Cajun Argentine Prawns

As the protein/fat ratio is slightly unbalanced for keto, I recommend that it is served together with an avocado salad or fibrous veggies loaded with butter. I served it with asparagus topped with Hollandaise sauce – the recipe will be posted soon…

Enjoy!

LOW CARB CRICKET CAJUN ARGENTINE PRAWNS
 
Author: 
Nutrition
  • Yield: 2
  • Serving: 1
  • Calories: 528
  • Fat: 31g
  • Net Carbs: 1.5g
  • Protein: 59g
Recipe type: Main Courses
Cuisine: Ketogenic. LCHF. Low Carb. High Protein. Grain Free. Gluten Free.
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Incredibly tasty, with the prawns (shrimp) flavour enhanced by the cricket flour. A really easy, but luxury dish that will also be a fun dinner topic.
Ingredients
  • 700g Argentine prawns (about 24 jumbo-size shrimp - no head, shell on)
  • 3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) (U.S. option HERE)
  • ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
  • ¼ tsp dried onion powder
  • 1 TBSP sweet paprika
  • ¼ tsp chilli powder
  • ½ tsp dried thyme
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • 1 garlic clove (minced)
  • ¼ tsp fine Himalayan pink salt (U.S. option HERE)
  • 1 TBSP cricket flour (click HERE for U.S. zero-carbs option)
Instructions
  1. remove carapace (shell) from prawns, leaving the tail on.
  2. using a sharp knife, score the dorsal length deeply enough to expose the bowel, and remove it from each prawn by pulling gently.
  3. rinse prawns in running cold water and drain, then set aside in a large glass mixing bowl (Pyrex or similar).
  4. in a separate small bowl, mix all spices, seasoning and cricket flour.
  5. pour EVOO onto prawns, then add the spices mix.
  6. stir well to ensure even coating, then cover the bowl with cling film and leave to marinade in the fridge for a few hours.
  7. brush a little EVOO over a cast iron or similar pan and place it on medium-high heat.
  8. cook the prawns 3-5 minutes each side until they become slightly charred and serve immediately.
Notes
ALLERGY NOTE: If you are allergic to shellfish you may also be allergic to insects.

You don't have to marinade if you're in a hurry, but it does intensify the flavours.

To compensate the high protein ratio and make it more keto, serve with avocado salad or fibrous veggies cooked in butter.

Metric kitchen scales are an inexpensive yet invaluable gadget to enable accurate measurement of ingredients. Store them upright in a cupboard or over your worktop and they'll only take up a tiny bit of space. Click HERE for the ones I use. For U.S. option click HERE.

 

Enjoyed this post? Your feedback matters to me! Please leave me a comment. If you try this recipe, make my day and share a photo on social media with the hashtag #queenketo. Thank you! 🙂

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