No. 1 : Quick Recipe
Tarragon Shrimp Salad
- Tomato Wedges (at Least 2 Tomatoes worth)
- Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
- 1 LB Large Shrimp in the shell
- 2 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
- *Frisee or Romaine Lettuce, coarsely torn into pieces
- 2 TB Lemon Juice, divided
- 2 TB Dijon Mustard
- 3 TB Avocado or Olive Mayo
- 2 Coarsely Chopped Tarragon Leaves, plus more for garnish
- 1 Lemon in wedges
Step One
Preheat the oven to 400F. Place the tomato wedges in a layer of paper towels, or a clean kitchen towel. Season well with salt and roll up. Set aside while you make the rest of the salad.
Step Two
Drizzle 1 TB olive oil over the shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 4 minutes, check to see if they are pink, firm to the touch and opaque. If not, flip them over, slide them back in the oven and check after an additional 2 minutes. Peel the shrimp when cool enough to handle.
Step Three
Toss the lettuce with the remaining olive oil, 2 Tsp of the lemon juice and sprinkle well with salt and pepper. Make a bed of lettuce on a large platter. To make the dressing, whisk together the mustard, mayo and remaining lemon juice in a bowl, then add the shrimp and tarragon. Top the lettuce mixture on the platter with the shrimp. Garnish with more tarragon, tomatoes and lemon wedges.
No. 2 : Kitchen Scoop
Did you know that tarragon is one of the four “Fines Herbes” of French cooking? Not only is it used as an herb, it’s also used as a flavoring for vinegar to produce tarragon vinegar. It’s a flavoring for a popular soft drink in Armenia and its one of the main ingredients in Chakapuli, the Georgian national dish traditionally made with lamb chops. In Iran and Slovenia, it’s also used – so tarragon is truly an international herb!
No. 3 : Get Creative
Frisee Lettuce is the “frizzy” lettuce often used in France. It goes really well with strong-flavored dressings like the one we are using on our salad this week.
No. 4 : Wine FIND of the Week
Chateau De Nages Heritage Rosé, Vielle Vignes
Costiere de Nimes, France
About $19.00
The color of this beautiful wine matches the shrimp in the salad – but more than just the color matches. This typical blend of the Grenache and Mouvedre grapes sings of warm weather and cool seafood salads. You’ll enjoy flavors of peaches and citrus along with a crisp dry after taste. This is a wine made for summer enjoyment – and no one will say anything if you drop an ice cube or two in your glass