After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America and cooking in the restaurant industry, last week I started a new endeavor at IU where I've transferred to major in business. As a native East-Coaster, I was clueless that the cicada epidemic was coming. Now, all I hear are complaints, complaints, complaints. I've heard they infest every inch of grass, every tree and every shoulder. \nHowever, where you see annoying pests, I see crunchy yet mealy protein. I see cheap, abundant, and regional cuisine. I see a salad of raw cicadas, cherry tomatoes, grilled corn and cucumber with a citrus olive oil vinaigrette. I see fried cicadas with a warm spicy curried mayonnaise dipping sauce. I see chicken breasts stuffed with spinach, Parmesan cheese, cicadas, and dried cranberries with a Gorgonzola cream sauce and cicada fries.\nThese little friends are only here to stay for a short time, so I encourage you to get your fill. With their crunchy texture and neutral flavor, cicadas are an excellent vehicle for sauces and as fried items. Here is a gourmet recipe to start you off on your cicada dining experience, but I encourage experimentation. So light the stove, turn up the wok, get that tandoor oven rolling.\n \nCicada Fries with Warm Spicy Curry Mayo
25 fresh cicadas\nFlour for dredging\nCanola oil\n1 cup mayonnaise\n1 teaspoon garlic, minced\n1 tablespoon canned chipotle peppers, minced\n1 tablespoon chipotle sauce from can\n1 tablespoon mild curry, such as tandoori\nsalt\npepper
1. Bring about 1 inch of oil to roughly 350 degrees in a saute pan; the oil should not be smoking. \n2. Dredge cicadas lightly in flour and shake off the excess. Carefully place cicadas in the saute pan. Fry 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through, turning them half way through. \n3. In the meantime, combine mayonnaise with remaining ingredients, adjusting seasonings and chipotle to desired amount of spice. Let mayonnaise sit out next to warm stove, be sure not to allow it to heat up too much or it will separate.\n4. When cicadas are cooked through, drain excess oil off and transfer to plate. Garnish with chopped parsley or thinly sliced green onions.
Warning: Please do not eat an abundance of cicada fries. They may have an uncomfortable or rather unknown effect on the human digestive system. Do not eat cicada fries if you are allergic to shellfish or nuts.
-- Sarah Kanter contributed to this story.
