Kicked Up Shrimp Caesar Salad with Two Recipes for Dressing

I have a standard Shrimp-Caesar Salad that I have made for a few years made with olive foccaccia for croutons. It uses a combination of mayonnaise and other ingredients to make a quick dressing. Although I will include the quick recipe in th end I came across this recipe from Emeril Lagasse that kicks the dish up a notch in flavour. You can use precooked shrimp and the quick dressing or really impress your friends and family and go one step further.



The photo is taken from Kalamalka Lake Road looking back towards Oyama.

Emeril has a recipe for what he calls ESSENCE which is a spice combination used in lots of his dishes.

**ESSENCE**

2-1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Just combine all ingredients thoroughly.

**Kicked Up Shrimp-Caesar Salad **

1-1/2 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 teaspoon Essence or Creole Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 cups bite-sized pieces or chiffonade of Romaine lettuce
Caesar dressing (recipe follows)
1 firm ripe Hass avocado, peeled, seeded and chopped (about 1 cup)
2 plum tomatoes, diced (about 1/2 cup)
4 large piadine (flatbreads) or alternatively use small round foccaccia breads or what you like, cut in half lengthwise
1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled or 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
freshly ground black pepper
Season the shrimp with the Essence and salt on both sides.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook until pink and cooked through, 1 -1/2 to 2 minutes per side. Set aside to cool.

**Caesar Dressing**

1 large egg yolk, coddled
2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon finely chopped anchovies
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Place the egg in it's shell in boiling water for 40 seconds. Remove, run under cold water for 15 seconds to stop the cooking process. Then use as directed. (This is a coddled egg).In a medium bowl, combine the egg yolk with the lemon juice, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, anchovies, alt and pepper and whisk until well combined. Slowly drizzle the olive oil into the bowl a few drops at a time, while whisking. Continue to drizzle the oil and whisk until all the oil is incorporated. Fold in the Parmesan and adjust seasoning to taste.

Transfer the dressing to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use. (The dressing will keep refrigerated up to 24 hours).

To assemble:

Toss the lettuce with enough of the dressing to lightly coat. Add the avocado and tomatoes and additional dressing, to taste.

**Emeril arranges the piadine breads on a work surface and divides the shrimp among the breads, laying them down the centre. He tops this with goat cheese and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve this with the salad.

**What I like to do is prepare the salad in a more traditional way. I like everything to be more bite-size and fork friendly. I cut the bread into cubes to make croutons (toss with 1 T olive oil and lightly toast on a baking sheet in a 325F oven, about 10 minutes or until lightly browned). Combine salad ingredients with dressing and plate it up on individual plates or bowls. Arrange shrimp on top, sprinkle generously with feta and a light sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper.

Whichever way you choose to prepare this dish it is delicious!!!

The easy dressing is made by combining:

1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 anchovies, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 - 2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce and freshly ground black pepper to taste

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