Angry Shrimp

Harris Teeter had a wonderful sale - buy 2 bags of 21-30 count shrimp get 3 free.  My freezer is stocked with 10 lbs. of shrimp, so I went searching for something creative and light.  I stumbled upon Angry Shrimp with Citrus/Spinach Salad created by Michael Chiarello. Michael is an amazing chef, famous for his do-ahead menus and wow factor presentations. I have two young children, ages 5 and 2, so something that I can prepare in stages is always desirable. We don’t eat out much so I like to try to create restaurant quality meals at home.

First I segmented the fruit, which I find kind of fun!   It is difficult at first, but practice is the only way to get better.  Once you master the “supreme” technique, the fruit looks so pretty and tastes so great with all the bitterness of the pith removed.  While you are working with the citrus you are already creating the base of your vinaigrette: the juice. Talk about a 2-for-1!  Just add salt, pepper and olive oil and voila!

By far the star of the dish is the shrimp.  My husband went crazy; he said it was the best he has ever had.  It is so easy, such a light dredge and a quick pan fry…perfection.  The shrimp could stand alone, and it was good hot or at room temp.  Leftovers could be used for a po’boy the next day.  My picky kids even liked it.  The salad is a homerun; it is a perfect balance of texture and has all the elements of flavor: sweet, sour and spicy.  We loved it and will serve it often. This is actually the second time I have made the dish.  The first time I added 2 jalapenos unseeded and it was super spicy, even for my husband who loves chiles.  This time around, we found that one seeded jalapeno produced the best heat level for us, and I recommend using as much basil as you can.  My herbs are still seedlings so I didn’t have a ton to work with but whatever you have will work.  This restaurant quality meal can be prepped ahead of time and quickly assembled for a wonderful spring or summer dinner.