By In The Kitchen With Stefano Faita
INGREDIENTS
Lemon-Pepper Grilled Shrimp
1 pound bag large frozen shrimp (U 16-20) (peeled, deveined, tails removed), thawed
Metal or bamboo skewers
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp. freshly cracked pepper, or to taste
Salt, to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
Dijon Buttermilk Dressing
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. honey
2 tbsp. chives
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Assembly
6 cups mixed greens, such as watercress and romaine
2 to 3 ounces blue cheese, such as Cambozola or Gorgonzola, cut into cubes or crumbled
1/4 small red onion, chopped
1 ripe avocado, cubed
2 small vine-ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
4 to 6 bacon slices, cooked and roughly chopped or crumbled
1/4 English cucumber, chopped
2 to 3 hard cooked eggs, chopped
PREPARATION
Lemon-Pepper Grilled Shrimp
Pat shrimp dry with paper towel.
Thread shrimp onto skewers. (If using bamboo skewers, make sure to soak in water for at least 1 hour to prevent charring on the grill.)
Combine lemon zest, cracked pepper, salt and olive oil. Drizzle over shrimp to coat. Let shrimp sit in marinade for up to 1 hour, if desired.
Preheat grill to medium high. Brush grill with oil.
Add shrimp skewers to grill. Cook shrimp, turning once, until they turn pink and are just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side.
Dijon Buttermilk Dressing
Combine white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, chives, buttermilk, mayonnaise, and salt and pepper. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
Assembly
Toss greens with a few spoonfuls of the dressing. Transfer to platter. Arrange rows of blue cheese, onion, avocado, tomatoes, Lemon Pepper Grilled Shrimp, bacon, cucumber and eggs on top of greens. Drizzle with remaining dressing and serve.
Yield: 4 servings.