Friday, August 17, 2012

Tropical Shrimp Salad





From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Today the thermostat soared into territory so rarefied that a local weatherman tried to fry an egg on the pavement at the county fairgrounds. While the egg didn't cook, it coagulated, as did most of the fairgoers who dared to brave the heat. The climate here is temperate and summer is marked by days that are comfortably warm and evenings that are cool. We have heat spells, to be sure, but Oregonians don't respond well to temperatures that flirt with the 100 degree mark. Sensible Oregonians seek air conditioned comfort or the cool natural breezes of the coast or mountains. Sensible Oregonians. The Silver Fox and I were at the fair. I knew the day was going to be long and difficult, so I wanted to offset it with a light, cool meal that would be table ready when we finally got home. I've been experimenting with salads lately and I like this one well enough to make again and share with you. While the dish is put together in two stages, both are simple and I think you'll find this very easy to make. The first stage, which involves making shrimp in escabeche, should be completed the day before you plan to serve the salad. To accomplish this, shrimp are poached or steamed and then placed, while still warm, in a light brine to marinate for a day or so. The following day they are tossed with cucumbers, honeydew melon and pineapple and allowed to sit just until the flavors meld. I love the crispness of the shrimp and cucumbers and the way the sweet melon and pineapple play against the pickle of the briny shrimp. This is a perfect dish for warm summer nights when appetites are lagging. It is light and delicious and I really think you'll enjoy it. Here's how the salad is made.

Tropical Shrimp Salad...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Shrimp
1 pound (21 to 25) large uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 small red onion chopped
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 teaspoon black peppercorns

Salad
2 cups honeydew melon, cut in 1-inch cubes
2 cups seedless cucumber, cut in 1-inch cubes
1 cup fresh or canned pineapple chunks
1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeno pepper
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro + cilantro for garnish
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 to 3 teaspoons teaspoons honey
Salt to taste
Lime wedges for garnish

Directions:
1) To prepare shrimp: Combine onion, vinegar, oregano and salt in a shallow glass dish. Set aside. Simmer oil, bay leaf, garlic and peppercorns in a small saucepan for 10 minutes. Set aside. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in pot. Add 2 tablespoons salt and bring to a boil again. Add shrimp, then remove from heat and let stand uncovered for 5 minutes. Drain well, then add shrimp and oil mixture to onion mixture in glass dish. Allow shrimp to cool to room temperature, then chill, covered, turning occasionally, for at least 12 hours. When ready to proceed, remove shrimp from marinade. Place in a large bowl. Strain and reserve marinade in a large bowl.
2) To prepare salad: Add ginger and honey to reserved marinade. Add salt as required to taste. Add melon, cucumber, pineapple, red onion, cilantro and jalapeno pepper, tossing to coat ingredients with marinade. Fold in shrimp. Cover and chill for 1 hour. Transfer to a serving platter or to individual plates. Garnish with lime wedges. Yield: 4 servings.








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28 comments :

Coleens Recipes said...

Sounds absolutely delicious and I just happen to have everything to make it...thanks!!!

Angie's Recipes said...

It looks so good! Those shrimps are so fresh and succulent!

Choc Chip Uru @ Go Bake Yourself said...

What an incredibly beautiful exotic salad :D

Cheers
Choc Chip Uru

Rumana Rawat said...

Hello dear..
what a fresh looking salad, i wish i would have one bite:)

From the Kitchen said...

Lovely! We've finally gotten a reprieve from the heat around here but it's still salad weather. I think the most difficult part of making this salad will be finding a tasty honeydew. So far, I've not had much luck with them this year.

Keep cool and keep cooking!

Best,
Bonnie

Kim said...

Gorgeous!!! This salad is just gorgeous... Plus, it looks so fresh and clean!!!! Honeydew and shrimp I would have never tought of this combination, but it looks perfect to go trought a hot day (the worse for me)!

Unknown said...

The perfect salad for a day like that! I can sympathize for sure. I know we are supposed to be used to the 100+ degrees, but it was a consistent 114-116 for over a week and let me tell you, you never get use to that!! The year I moved out here it reached 120 at the airport... the weatherman actually DID fried an egg on the pavement!!

Salsa Verde said...

Hi Mary,
It looks really delicious and so refreshing!!
Cheers, and hope you have a fantastic weekend!
Lia.

Susan Lindquist said...

Oh Mary! You and your wonderful shrimp recipes! This is surely another beauty! What wonderful cool crunch to add to those shrimp!

Hope you've cooled down a bit! This HAS been a summer to remember for the heat and humidity!

Karen (Back Road Journal) said...

Mary, your salad sounds perfect for the hot weather you are having. Maine is much the same as Oregon and when we do get the rare hot day we find it hard to take.

Kath said...

What a lovely salad, Mary! It's perfect for a hot summer night. I love the addition of a bit of jalapeno pepper.

Tricia @ saving room for dessert said...

This combination of flavors sounds very refreshing. Glad you didn't melt at the fair! It has been so hot everywhere. Salads are perfect in this weather and marinating the shrimp is so smart. Yummy! Have a great weekend Mary.

Shug said...

What a light and refreshing dinner.
The combination of shrimp and fruit is interesting. Yesterday, I had a shrimp and avocado salad with mango and pineapple chutney. I was amazed by the flavors.
Who needs a cookbook, when they have you as a blogging friend.
Hugs,
Shug

Ana Regalado said...

This fantastic shrimp salad is perfect for these hot summer days !

Ellen B Cookery said...

You can put any recipe containing shrimp in front of me and I'll be happy! This is incredible! You really can cook well!

June said...

Looks cool and beautiful too. Love the combination of melon and cucumber. It's going on our list pdq. Thanks Mary!

David said...

Mary, This is a perfect mid-summer hot weather salad! Refreshing yet satisfying... Thanks for the recipe! Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Barbara F. said...

Mary, I felt 10 degrees cooler just reading this recipe! I adore shrimp, and will be making this for sure! xo

Unknown said...

it's look very delicius

Schnitzel and the Trout said...

Mary, as shrimp lovers, this recipe is going to the top of the stack!!! I know we would love it!!! I am adjusting slowly to the 50 degree weather change daily here in Montana. Hot days and cold nights. Lots of laundry...... Susan

Unknown said...

We're a bit cooler right now on the East coast but I'm certain this mild weather won't last long - this will be the perfect recipe to pull out when the heat returns, looks wonderful!

Sue/the view from great island said...

Summer fairs can be a double edged sword, fun, but I'm sure you were happy to get home to this refreshing salad.

StephenC said...

When a person can tell that shrimp are perfectly cooked just by looking at a picture, one is in the presence of a master. That would be you.

StephenC said...

Don't know what happened to my comment. Suffice it to say it was very complimentary.

teresa said...

incredibly fresh and delicious!

QembarDelites said...

I have seen several blogger bloggog anbt, Love it very much!

dr.antony said...

Hi,mary
that looks so exotic.
Now I know how to cook the shrimps.I always used to over cook them and make them rubbery!

France@beyondthepeel said...

Sounds like the perfect salad for a super hot day. Thanks for sharing.

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