Roisin’s Shrimp Salad with Lemon Beurre Blanc and Avocado
Trying something new…
I’m trying something new that I am excited for you guys to tell me if you like or not.
I am asking some of my favorite guests of the pod to share with me their go-to restaurant in their local city, and their go-to dish/es when they go. Then, I am recreating those dishes at home, and sharing here.
In the case of Roisin Branch, who lives and works in Manhattan, her go-to spot is Electric Lemon inside the Equinox Hotel, where she orders the Shrimp Salad and Polenta Fries with a glass (or two!) of Rosé. So, today, I’m sharing a recipe for Shrimp Salad and Polenta Fries, which I think pair perfectly with your favorite Rosé wine, here’s mine.
It just so happened that as I was developing this recipe, I was in NYC for my brother’s engagement party, so Ronnie and I ended up at Electric Lemon for dinner one of the nights in order to taste the Warm Shrimp Salad and Polenta Fries for ourselves! While I was able to get my hands on the Polenta Fries, we had to improvise with the Shrimp Salad (the didn’t have the one Roisin recommended! But they did have a delicious alternative, The Electric Little Gem).
If you recall, I’ve already created the Shrimp Salad I had, but I promised that in a future recipe, I would try to recreate the Warm Shrimp Salad that Roisin recommended based on what I learned while dining there :) This is that one. Also, I had to go into the Yelp archives to find a picture of this from the restaurant, so you’re welcome for being a full blown detective.
Okay, that’s all… Let’s get into the recipe.
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Yield — Serves 4
Cook time — ~65 mins
What you’ll need
Ingredients
Roasted heirloom tomatoes
2 cups of heirloom cherry tomatoes (I like the mixed colors), halved
1 clove of peeled garlic
½ small onion sliced
1/4 cup white wine
Boiled Shrimp
1 lb of large shrimp (you want ~24 shrimp), peeled & de-veined (keep the shells)
8 cups filtered water
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1-2 bay leaves
Beurre Blanc Dressing
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 medium shallots, finely chopped
1 tablespoon crème fraîche
8 ounces (16 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Salad
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of cider vinegar
8 cups of Spring Mix
2 avocados, halved and sliced
4 tbs fresh chives, chopped
1 cup of Shaved Parmesan (option to swap for Pecorino, which is a little more creamy/buttery)
How to Make
Roasted Heirloom Tomatoes
Preheat the oven to 350.
Slice the tomatoes in half.
Add 1 clove of peeled garlic, ½ small onion sliced and a little white wine to a small oven safe dish.
Layer tomatoes inside up and spread out evenly.
Roast in the oven until everything is soft and the tomatoes are look wrinkly. 1-2 hours depending on how much time you have.
Boiled Shrimp
Place the shells from the shrimp in a large saucepan along with 1 tablespoon of garlic salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and bay leaf. Add 8 cups water and bring to a boil over med/high heat.
Once water boils, then add the peeled and deveined shrimp and simmer until pink, about 2-3 minutes depending on the size of the shrimp. Drain and transfer cooked shrimp to a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process and let cool.
Set aside for the time being.
Compile your Salad
In a large salad bowl, combine your 8 Cups of Spring Mix, your roasted Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, your chopped chives and your shaved parmesan.
Dress with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar, and a sprinkle of salt.
Pile about 2 cups of salad mix on one side of your plate, touching but not topping… leave room off to the side for a dollop (as big or little as you want) of beurre blanc with shrimp on top, and your sliced avocado.
Beurre Blanc Dressing
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the lemon juice, wine, and shallots to a boil. Continue boiling the mixture for 3 to 5 minutes, until it reduces and thickens slightly.
Add the crème fraîche and boil for an additional 2 minutes.
Lower the heat to medium-low. Add the butter, 1 cube at a time, and whisk, allowing each piece to fully melt before adding the next one.
When the last of the butter has just melted, remove the pan from the heat and strain out the shallots if desired.
Season the beurre blanc sauce with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Scoop a dollop of your ready-to-serve beurre blanc onto your serving plate next to your salad, add shrimp on top, and your sliced avocado.
Enjoy!
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I enjoyed coming up with it! Roisin is such a badass, so we have her to thank for sharing a little slice of her happy place with us.
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