For anyone unfamiliar with the concept of “blackening,” it describes a technique of cooking fish or seafood, although it can be done with chicken, beef or pork, as well. It usually involves dredging the protein in butter, then into a mix of spices that add flavor and a little “heat” to the dish.

The spiced protein then is cooked quickly at high temps. This method gives the protein its characteristic blackened coloring, which comes from the browned butter and charring of the spices. This recipe, by strictest definition, is not really blackened shrimp. But it’s close enough!

As recipe author Karina says, “With the perfect amount of spice, this salad knocked my socks off, and will do the same to yours. But in a good way.”

 

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. raw, peeled and deveined large shrimp, tails removed

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground basil

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons sweet paprika (or smoky for a different flavor option)

2 bunches of asparagus, halved

1 teaspoon olive oil

For the Salad

4 cups romaine lettuce leaves (or lettuce of choice), washed and ready to use

1 avocado, cubed

¼ red onion, sliced

1 handful fresh basil leaves

For the Dressing

1/3 cup Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon lemon pepper

1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional for extra flavor)

2 tablespoons water (or olive oil)

Salt to taste

 

DIRECTIONS

In a shallow bowl, combine shrimp with all of the spice ingredients, and rub into the shrimp until evenly coated. Heat a large pan/skillet on medium heat and add the olive oil. Sauté the shrimp and the asparagus while turning occasionally until the shrimp and asparagus have started to change color and are just cooked (about 5 minutes).

Combine the lettuce leaves, avocado, onion slices and basil leaves in a salad bowl. Add the shrimp and avocado on top.

For the dressing: Combine the yogurt in a bowl with the lemon pepper, lemon juice (if using), water and salt. Mix well to combine. Drizzle over the salad.

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Quick Tip:  So you’ve peeled a passel of shrimp! Now turn over a shrimp. If it is a very large shrimp, you will clearly see a black line running down its back. This is the “vein,” which is the shrimp’s intestinal tract. It won’t kill you to eat it. But think about it for a minute – yuck! Take a paring knife and slide it gently along the side of the vein, making a shallow cut. Now gently pull up the vein with your knife, starting at the head and working towards the tail. It may break, even though it is fairly elastic and is usually removed easily. If it does break, just continue where you left off, until it is all removed. Scrub out any vein remnants, using your thumb, under running water.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Karina at Café Delites