Ok, so the salad this week is a collaboration between Jesus Martinez; Executive Sous Chef, and Pah Hot, Lead Cook. They wanted a light dish to showcase some of our resident's favorite ingredients.
To start
1/2 Pound shrimp cleaned, cooked and chilled. So shrimp is easy to cook, sometimes easy to overcook as well. Peel the shrimp, remove the heads (if still attached), and remove the vein. Save the peels. Seriously. Wrap them in plastic and put them In the freezer. After you get a few packages like this you are all set to make a shrimp stock, that can become the base of a soup, sauce, or anything. it's really easy and really good. Anyway, cook the shrimp in salted water, stock or bouillon as you prefer for about 2-4 minutes. remove from liquid and chill. you can do this a day or so ahead.
1 Cup cut Pineapple. Very small dice, doesn't have to be perfect, but this is where we show off our skills with a knife so, you know...represent.
1/4 Cup diced bell peppers
1/4 C red onion diced.
juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup chopped chives or scallions. Chives have a more delicate flavor than scallions, your choice.
Combine the above with salt and pepper, maybe a little olive oil. set aside. not too long or the juice from the pineapple will begin to cook the shrimp. Seriously, if you aren't ready don't add the pineapple, I have ruined dishes this way...
Next;
1/2 C chopped Cilantro
1/4 C chopped Mint
2 T sesame oil
1/4 C toasted peanuts
Sesame seeds (white or black)
2 T olive oil
Combine in blender or food processor until smooth. It should look like loose pesto.
Next;
1 avocado peeled and seeded.
juice of 1 lime
1 T Olive oil
salt, pepper to taste
Mash together until smooth.
Place a 3 inch wide plating ring on a a white salad plate. Spoon the shrimp mixture into the center of the ring, thenm press down with the back of the spoon until packed nicely in, about 1 inch. Spoon some of the avocado mixture over the top of the ring, and remove the plating ring carefully.
Spoon the cilantro dressing over the top of the shrimp and around the plate as desired. don't be stingy, this is your flavor.
Garnish as desired, sprouts, microgreens, edible flowers, lime wedges are all great choices.
Pah Hot has been promoted several times from Dishwasher to Prep Cook, Cook 2, Cook 3, and finally Lead Cook because of his abilities in the kitchen and his dedication to the team.
This dish is great year round, don't be afraid to play around with what you want it to be. Some ideas might be substituting the pineapple with grilled corn, or maybe using lobster instead of shrimp. try this one with crispy wontons or tortilla chips as a nice crispy addition.
enjoy!
