Submitted by: Richard Hammond
Servings: Appetizer for Four
Ingredients: 3 medium oranges peeled & diced
1 small or ½ medium red onion
1 large lemon and 1 large lime
1 ½ tbsp Thai fish sauce, 1 cilantro bunch
1 can (14oz.) Thai Kitchen coconut milk
1 lb. cooked x-large shrimp, cleaned
1/3 cup frutata EV olive oil
2 firm-ripe Haas avocadoes
1 – 2 habañero chiles (optional)
2 tbsp raw honey
Instructions: THE DAY BEFORE:
Dry roast the chiles until slightly blackened all over, cool, chop fine & store in ‘fridge…
Wash and spin dry the cilantro; store wrapped in thick kitchen towels on ‘fridge top shelf…
Make a large bucket filled with ice water in the sink before starting today’s prep…
Refrigerate the avocadoes and the coconut milk…
Rinse the shrimp in cold water, shell if need be, then drain and spin dry. Cut shrimp into large chunks and keep covered & chilled, lining the container with 2-3 paper towels. Peel and dice the onion fine, about ¼ inch and place into a fine mesh sieve. Dunk the sieve in the ice water repeatedly, drain and place over a thick towel. Using one or both hands, break up the onion layers. Repeat the dunking and breaking layers until the onions are deflamed (no more acrid onion vapors), about 2 to 3 times more.
Drain the onions well and spin dry. Place in paper towel-lined containers, cover and refrigerate. Zest the lime using a microplane grater. Squeeze the lemon and lime juices into a glass bowl and save the zest and juices together. Add the honey, as much hot chile as you like and the fish sauce to the citrus mixture. Stir well until honey is thoroughly incorporated, cover this prep bowl with saran and refrigerate.
You may step away from the kitchen now, but before you go to bed you must complete the last step of the day.
Last step of the day: use a tightly covered container to combine the shrimp and the onion. Whisk the olive oil into the citrus, honey & chile mixture to form a dressing. Pour the dressing over the shrimp and onion. Mix well, cover and refrigerate overnight…
ABOUT AN HOUR BEFORE SERVICE:
Place 4 jumbo martini glasses and a medium glass mixing bowl in the freezer…
Open the coconut milk can and scrape out all the top “cream” into a prep bowl while discarding the clear liquid. You may lightly cover the prep bowl with saran and leave the coconut “cream” at room temp to soften until ready for service.
RIGHT BEFORE SERVING:
Chop as much cilantro into the shrimp mixture as desired and mix thoroughly. Split, peel and dice the avocadoes into the chilled mixing bowl. Add the diced oranges plus all their juices. Mix the coconut cream in gently but not too thoroughly using a large spatula. Divide this mixture among the martini glasses and then spoon the marinated shrimp salad over the “cream” of citrus-avocado soup. Garnish with additional cilantro sprigs and lime wedges if desired and serve immediately.
Notes: Chef Rick Hammond is a self-taught Paleo chef providing meals, dinner parties and cooking lessons in and around Northern New Jersey.
Contact info:
http://www.chef4thenite.com
201.403.8813
A great way to start the evening.
Thank you Larry! I have done this dish for several dinners now and it does make a spectacular beginning to any party. People can’t stop talking about the flavor combination and this app is becoming one of the most requested by guests to start all my holiday parties…