Cajun Skillet
I love skillet meals. What do I mean by “skillet meal”? A dish where all (or most) of the things get cooked in a single cast iron frying pan. Why do I love this cooking format? It is a great way to get maximum flavor out of all the ingredients, and it cuts down on dirty dishes when the cooking is done. I have a number of similar recipes, each one a different combination of meats, vegetables, and one grain-based item such as gnocchi or spätzle. This particular one is a Cajun themed skillet dish, inspired by shrimp and crawfish boils. It contains some Louisiana staples such as shrimp, andouille sausage, and a delicious medley of vegetables. My favorite part of this dish however, is the Cornbread Fritters. I follow this recipe from Foodandwine.com, However I will be using the dough slightly differently. Instead of rolling the dough into small sticks, I will be making tiny teaspoon-sized balls. The end result is a heaping bowl of spicy, savory goodness that you eat by the spoonful.
Working Around your Allergies
There is shellfish in this recipe, if you cannot eat shellfish I recommend swapping the shrimp for chicken. The other main allergy consideration is sourcing andouille sausage that is safe for you to eat. Lastly, the fried cornbread fritters can be made using Gluten Free flour cup for cup. Remember to make each recipe your own!
Ingredients:
1 Pound Raw Shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 Teaspoon Creole Seasoning
1/4 Teaspoon Onion Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Pound Andouille Sausage, ground or sliced
2 Poblano or Bell Peppers, diced
2 Small Onions, diced
1 Rib of Celery, diced
1 Cup Sweet Corn
For the Cornbread Fritters (from Foodandwine.com):
1 Cup all-purpose flour
1/2 Cup cornmeal
1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
3/4 Teaspoon salt
1/4 Teaspoon baking powder
1/8 Teaspoon baking soda
3/4 Cup water
2 Teaspoons oil (plus more for frying)
Instructions:
Start by combining the dry cornbread fritter ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add the oil and water, then stir until a smooth dough forms. Scoop the dough using a teaspoon, placing the small balls on a plate. Fry the dough in your frying oil at no less than 350 degrees Fahrenheit until they are crispy. Remove them from the oil and allow to drain on a wire rack. Next combine the raw shrimp, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and creole seasoning in a bowl. Toss the shrimp around to coat them evenly in seasoning then place them in the refrigerator to rest. Next cook the andouille sausage in your skillet. Once its fully cooked remove it from the pan and place it in a large serving bowl, leaving the fat in the pan. Let the pan come back up to temperature then fry the shrimp in the sausage fat. Once fully cooked remove the shrimp and add them to the large serving bowl. The final step is sautéing the vegetables. Place them all in the hot skillet, adding more oil if necessary and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently. Once the vegetables soften to your liking add them to your serving bowl. Stir together all the ingredients in the serving bowl, so you get a bit of everything in each scoop. To serve place a few cornbread fritters in a bowl and top it with the meat and vegetables, you can add Louisiana or Tobasco hot sauce for an extra kick!
Cajun Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb Raw Shrimp peeled and deveined
- ¼ tsp Creole Seasoning
- ¼ tsp Onion Powder
- ¼ tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 lb Andouille Sausage ground or sliced
- 2 Poblano or Bell Peppers diced
- 2 Small Onions diced
- 1 Rib of Celery diced
- 1 cup Sweet Corn
Cornbread Fritters (from Foodandwine.com)
- 1 cup GF all-purpose flour
- ½ cup Cornmeal
- 1 ½ tbsp Sugar (add more for a sweeter fritter)
- ¾ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Baking powder
- ⅛ tsp Baking soda
- ¾ cup Water
- 2 tsp Neutral oil (plus more for frying)
Instructions
Corn Fritters
- Combine 1 cup GF all-purpose flour, ½ cup Cornmeal, 1 ½ tbsp Sugar, ¾ tsp Salt, ¼ tsp Baking powder, and ⅛ tsp Baking soda in a mixing bowl
- Add ¾ cup Water and 2 tsp Neutral oil into the dry ingredients and stir until a smooth dough forms
- Scoop the dough into small balls using a teaspoon.
- Heat oil to 350℉ in a high wall skillet and fry dough balls in small batches until crispy.
- Remove cooked fritters from oil and let drain on a wire rack until cool.
Cajun Skillet
- Combine 1 lb Raw Shrimp, ¼ tsp Creole Seasoning, ¼ tsp Onion Powder, ¼ tsp Garlic Powder, and ½ tsp Salt in small bowl. Toss the shrimp until coated and place in the fridge to rest.
- Heat a large skillet and cook 1 lb Andouille Sausage until browned through.
- Remove cooked Andouille from the pan, leaving the sausage fat, and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Cover the bowl to retain heat.
- Remove shrimp from the fridge and add to the hot skillet. Fry shrimp in the remaining sausage fat until fully cooked.
- Remove cooked shrimp from the pan and transfer to the large mixing bowl.
- Add diced veggies and sweet corn to the hot skillet and cook over medium heat, adding more oil if necessary. Stir frequently until veggies are softened to your liking.
- Transfer the cooked veggies to the mixing bowl and stir all the ingredients together.
- To serve place a small layer of Corn fritters in the bottom of a bowl and top with skillet mixture. You can add Louisiana or Tobasco hot sauce for an extra kick.