Lorena Garcias Lemon Glazed Jumbo Shrimp Salad Food

PUERTO RICAN RUM GLAZED JUMBO SHRIMP WITH CRISPY ONIONS AND AVOCADO SALAD

Steps:

• Avocado Salad: In a large bowl, combine the avocado, tomatoes, red onion, and cilantro. Season to taste with lime juice, salt and hot pepper sauce.
• Onion Rings: Combine the flour and the Cajun seasoning mix and dunk onions in this mixture, then dunk onions in the buttermilk. Repeat this process once. Fry the onion rings until golden brown in a large pot with vegetable oil at 350 degrees.
• Glaze: In a large saucepan, combine rum, star anise, cinnamon sticks, juniper berries, lemon zest, cloves, bay leaf and molasses. Reduce until it becomes thick like a glaze.
• Shrimp: Grill shrimp in a grill pan. Brush with glaze and cook for 1 or 2 minutes on each side.
• Assembly: Arrange fried onion rings in center of plate. Spoon avocado salad into onion rings. Arrange cooked shrimp on top of salad.

GRILLED SHRIMP SALAD WITH LEMONGRASS AND CHILES

Steps:

• Prepare grill for cooking.
• Soak shrimp (still in shells) in salt water 5 minutes, then rinse well in a colander.
• Pound all chiles with garlic to a coarse paste with a mortar and pestle and stir in fish sauce and lime juice and sugar to taste. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Snip shells of shrimp with scissors down center of back, from wide end to second-to-last tail section. Butterfly shrimp in their shells, making a deep incision along length of back where shells are cut, and devein.
• Discard tough outer leaves of lemongrass and trim root ends. Thinly slice lower 6 inches of stalks.
• Grill shrimp on their sides on an oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals until shells are pink and slightly charred and shrimp are just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. (Alternatively, grill shrimp in a hot well-seasoned ridged grill pan over moderate heat.)
• Toss shrimp (with shells still on) with chile mixture and stir in sliced lemongrass, shallots, scallions, and mint.
• Serve on a bed of lettuce and tomato with cilantro or mint.