I hardly ever make shrimp anymore. I think it’s because after Ron and I started dating we probably ate shrimp twice a week. We just enjoyed eating it. Shrimp is one of those foods with which you can have fun switching up the flavor. I went through a period of no shrimp after a while for a few years, but all things culinary come in cycles. The other day at the fish market, I saw fresh jumbo shrimp, and it gave me the craving for my old shrimp salad.

This is a recipe I have been making for years, way back while Ron and I were still dating. The shrimp is marinated in turmeric, fresh ginger, dried dill and sliced shallots with light extra virgin olive oil. It’s a spicy shrimp dish without the intense heat.

A contributing factor to this recipe is I just love the color of turmeric. Once cooked, it leaves a neon green sauce—very bright and pretty. Originally, I planned on pairing the shrimp with arugula, garbanzo beans, dried cranberries, mango, bell pepper, and endive. This dish is much better without two ingredients: the bell pepper and garbonzo beans. Remember how I often write, “experiment, make it your own?” Well, this is an art, and what you leave out is just as important as what you include. Be discerning, keep fluid, and keep trying new things.

All the salad vegetables I ultimately chose to include have spice and tart to them. The arugula is spicy and tart at the same time, whereas the endive is just tart. These flavors balance out the dish in a wonderful synergy when you’re tasting them at the same time.

My citrus honey vinaigrette which works with the entire dish. I drizzle it over the shrimp and greens, including the mango. It sweetens up the dish just a hint and brings the diverse flavors together.

Ingredients:

• 20 jumbo shrimp
• 2 cups of arugula
• 1 endive, sliced thin
• 1 shallot, sliced
• 1 mango, peeled and coarsely chopped
• handful of dried cranberries
• 2 chunky pieces of fresh ginger, peeled and juiced with a garlic press
• 1 tablespoon of dried dill
• 1 tablespoon of turmeric
• 2 tablespoons of light extra virgin olive oil

Prepare all your ingredients. In the photo below, you’ll see a roasted pepper and garbonzo beans. Ultimately, they didn’t make the cut. It would’ve been too many flavors. The finalized dish has been made several times now, and our guests agree: my shrimp and mango salad is delicious, simple, and easy to make. Please ignore the pepper and beans in the photo below.

Clean and peel the shrimp and devein (if needed), but leave the tails attached. Place on a paper towel to absorb the excess moisture, set a side. Next, slice the shallots, peel and chop the ginger. Slice the endive and peel and chop the mango into chunks, plate separately, cover and refrigerate. Wash the arugula and drain excess water, set aside.

Put the shrimp in to a nonreactive bowl and add the ginger by squeezing it with a garlic press. Scrape the bits of ginger off the press into the bowl.

Add olive oil, dried dill, shallots, black pepper, and turmeric. Toss all the ingredients together with the shrimp to mix well and evenly cover the shrimp. This will marinate each shrimp more or less entirely. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for three hours before grilling.

While the shrimp is marinating, go ahead and make the citrus honey vinaigrette (recipe here). For this salad, I replaced the red wine vinegar with rice vinegar. If you do not have rice vinegar, try using white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar for this recipe. Once the vinaigrette is made, cover and let it sit at room temperature in a cool place. Remember to give it a quick whisk just before you add it to the salad because the vinegar and oil will separate if not used right away.

Now that hours have passed, it’s time to slide the shrimp onto your skewers and start up your grill! When the grill is hot, place the shrimp on the grill and let them cook on each side for about 2 1/2 minutes. Once the shrimp turns pink and shrinks a bit, they’re done. Try not to overcook the shrimp because they will be dry and tough, and that is what we want to avoid. We used our Chef’n Branch Skewer once again, and it made the shrimp grilling a breeze.

When the shrimp are fully cooked, set them on a cutting board until they cool off  a bit to handle. Plate your arugula, mango, cranberries and endive. Next, add the shrimp and drizzle the citrus honey vinaigrette over the entire plate.

This is another delicious summer recipe for your family and guests. We’ve been told several times that when most of the ingredients are eaten together, the dish takes on a new, complex flavor, yet the individual items can stand on their own. We hope you have fun this summer with a new outdoor favorite of ours. Bon appétit!