Ingredients
December 20, 2008
Reprinted from The Splendid Table's How to East Supper: Recipes, Stories, and Opinions from Public Radio's Award-Winning Food Show by Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift (Clarkson Potter/Publishers, 2008). Copyright 2008 by American Public Media.
In this take-off on a Roman favorite winter salad you can marinate the shrimp for an hour or so in the refrigerator before arranging the plates. Coddling shrimp in olive oil brings out their lushness. If anchovies aren't beloved by all at table, just leave them out.
Serves 4 to 6 and halves or doubles easily.
The Shrimp:
1 pound large raw shrimp, shelled
1/4 cup good tasting extra-virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove, crushed
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Juice of 1/2 a large lemon
The Salad:
1 large head curly endive or frisee
2 heads Belgian endive, or a small head of another tart green
Ice water
The Dressing:
3 oil-packed anchovy filets
1 large clove garlic
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, or to taste
2 tablespoons fruity extra-virgin olive oil, or to taste
1. Rinse and pat dry the shrimp. In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat with the garlic and about 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Just get it very warm, but don't brown the garlic. Add the shrimp and cook over medium low heat, gently turning pieces until the shrimp are pink and just firm. Immediately turn into a bowl, add the lemon juice and refrigerate up to 90 minutes.
2. For the salad, use about two-thirds of the curly endive, only the pale inner leaves trimmed of their dark green tops (reserve the tops for other dishes). Cut into long thin strips. Repeat with the Belgian endive or tart greens. Place in ice water and let stand 1 hour in the refrigerator. Drain and spin totally dry.
3. Rinse the anchovies, then crush them with the garlic into a paste. Use the side of your knife or a mortar and pestle. Scrape into a small bowl and blend in 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Let stand 5 minutes.
4. Toss the anchovy mixture with the greens, adding olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste, and adding more oil or vinegar as needed. Pile on salad plates. With a slotted spoon shake excess oil from the shrimp and pile them on each serving. Serve immediately.
Instructions
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