After our Super Bowl party this year, I was left with about a pound of leftover shrimp from a platter that a friend so graciously brought over to share. We left to go out of town for a couple of days yesterday, so I wanted to use up all the leftovers we had in the refrigerator before we left. What better to do with it than make shrimp salad? It’s a perfect lunch over a bed of baby spinach.
While chicken salad can be dense and heavy, shrimp salad is light and airy. I like to season it lightly; a little bit of salt and pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice, and some fresh dill – to really let the flavor of the shrimp shine through. Next time you have some leftover shrimp hanging around (or take the shortcut, and buy them pre-cooked) do yourself a favor and whip up a batch of this salad. You just may have a new favorite for your lunchbox!
Shrimp Salad
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp kosher salt
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 pound large shrimp in the shell (16 to 20 shrimp per pound)
1/2 cup good mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
1/3 cup minced red onion
1/2 cups minced celery (1 stalk)
Bring 3 quarts of water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil. Add the shrimp. Cook until the water returns back to a boil. Remove the shrimp with a slotted spoon to a bowl of cold water. Let cool; then peel, devein, and roughly chop the shrimp.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, lemon juice, Old Bay, pepper, and dill. Add the shrimp, red onion and celery. Stir to combine. Check the seasonings. Serve or cover and refrigerate for a few hours to let flavors meld.
Souce: adapted from Barefoot Contessa Parties! by Ina Garten
