Orange juice tames heat in spicy shrimp salad
Have you ever whipped up a spicy dish — chili, for example — and realized when it’s too late that you somehow overdid it and added way too much of the hot stuff? Happily, there are two very simple ways to restore some equilibrium: adding dairy and/or sugar. It’s a balancing act performed all over the world. The Indians serve their vindaloo with yogurt. Mexicans tamp down the heat of their habaneros with crema or sour cream. Here in North America, we use sugar to counteract the heat in our barbecue sauce.
So, how to tame the heat in this spicy shrimp? I went with sugar in the form of fresh orange juice, boiled down until it’s concentrated, which then becomes the main flavour in the recipe’s vinaigrette. The juice also helps to lighten up the dressing — you need less oil when one of your other ingredients is as thick and flavourful as concentrated orange juice. And by the way, grapefruit juice, which is slightly more tart than orange juice, works equally well.
In an effort to cut down on the preparation time for this recipe, I’ve called for a store-bought creole or jerk spice mix. But feel free to mix up your own. As long as it includes ground chipotle or hot paprika or cayenne, you’ll win.
Spicy Shrimp with Hearts of Palm, Avocado and Orange Salad
Start to finish: 1 hour 40 minutes (40 active) Makes: Four servings
3 Tbsp vegetable oil, preferably grapeseed, divided
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp Jamaican jerk seasoning, creole seasoning or your favourite spicy seasoning
1 lb. jumbo (16-20) peeled and deveined shrimp
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 1/2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
6 cups torn butter lettuce
1 (14-oz) can hearts of palm, drained and patted dry, sliced crosswise
1/2-inch thick 1 large Haas avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into
1/2-inch chunks
2 medium oranges, peeled and cut into segments
1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds (toasted in a 350 F oven until golden, six to eight minutes)
In a large bowl stir together 1 Tbsp of the oil and the jerk seasoning; add the shrimp and toss well to coat. Cover and chill for one hour. Heat the grill to medium. In a small saucepan simmer the orange juice until it is reduced to 2 Tbsp. Transfer to a small bowl; add the salt, mustard and vinegar and whisk until the salt is dissolved. Gradually whisk in the remaining 2 Tbsp vegetable oil.
Thread the shrimp on skewers and grill, turning them over once, about two minutes a side.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine the lettuce, hearts of palm, avocado and orange segments. Add 1/4 cup of the dressing and toss well.
To serve, divide the salad among four plates, top with the shrimp and sunflower seeds; drizzle with the remaining dressing.
Sara Moulton is host of Sara’s Weeknight Meals. She was executive chef at Gourmet magazine for nearly 25 years and spent a decade hosting Food Network shows. Her latest cookbook is Home Cooking 101.