Useful Cicada Recipes: A Great Way to Get Rid of Those Damn Cicada

I hate those damn cicada. They think they can just chill for 17 years and then make a lot of noise. Well, dammit, I am not going to take it anymore! Let's fry these suckers! I have done some research and found some great cicada recipes. It may sound gross but try a few of these out. There are millions of cicadas and we need to use up as many as we can.

This first recipe is given to us by Jenna Jadin of the University of Minnesota.

Soft-Shelled Cicadas

Ingredients:
1 cup Worcestershire sauce
60 freshly emerged 17-year cicadas
4 eggs, beaten
3 cups flour
Salt and pepper to season the flour
1 cup corn oil or slightly salted butter

Directions:
Marinate cicadas alive in a sealed container in Worcestershire sauce for several hours. (Note: You can skip this step and go directly to the egg step instead.) Dip them in the beaten egg, roll them in the seasoned flour and then gently saut� until they are golden brown.

This should serve you up about 4 helpings. I suggest not skipping the marination step. Believe me, you won't regret marinating these tasty cicadas. But hey, you might be feeling a Mexican dish one night and you happen to have some cicada just laying around, begging to be eaten. Well, Jenna once again gives us a recipe for El Chirper Tacos.

El Chirper Tacos

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter or peanut oil
1/2 pound newly emerged cicadas
2 serrano chilies, raw, finely chopped
1 tomato, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp ground pepper or to taste
1/2 tsp cumin
3 tsp taco seasoning mix
1 handful cilantro, chopped
Taco shells, to serve
Sour cream
Shredded cheddar cheese
Shredded lettuce

Directions
1. Heat the butter or oil in a frying pan and fry the cicadas for 10 minuts, or until cooked through.
2. Remove from pan and roughly chop into 1/4-inch cubes/ Place back in pan.
3. Add the chopped onions, chilies and tomato, season with salt, and fry for another 5 minutes on medium-low heat.
4. Sprinkle with ground pepper, cumin and oregano to taste.
5. Serve in taco shells and garnish with cilantro, sour cream, lettuce and cheddar cheese.

Well, now I know what you are thinking. What about desert? Well, Reid Forgave of UC Clermont College has some Cicadas Cookies for you!

CICADA-CHIP COOKIES

Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso
powder, slightly crushed
8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
24 cicadas, frozen

Directions
1. Pull off wings and legs of cicadas. Throw legs away; set wings aside. If you prefer a less crunchy version, decapitate the cicadas and throw away the heads.
2. Cream butter with the sugars until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract..
3. Combine dry ingredients and beat into the butter mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips. If mix is too dry, pour in a tablespoon of milk.
4. Mince the bodies of the cicadas and stir into mixture until they are indistinguishable from the chocolate chips.
5. Drop large spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Top cookies with cicada wings (three to four per cookie).
6. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, or 10 to 12 minutes for a crispier cookie. Makes 12 to 15 large cookies

Alright....enjoy your cicada. Someone try these out and let me know what you think. I am not stupid enough to try it.