As a lover of all things seafood, I try to find different ways to enjoy it. Shrimp is one of my favorite edible water dwellers and this is a casual way of serving and eating it that is great for watching the game, or as an appetizer for a dinner party.
Here's what you'll need:
1 lb. raw large or 18-20 size shrimp (I like whole shrimp so I can make stock with the shells, but frozen and already peeled is fine)
1/4 cup of your favorite mayo
1/4 bunch fresh cilantro (roughly chopped; parsley would work as well)
2 tbsp. white wine vinegar (any vinegar you have on hand will work)
1 tbsp. dijon mustard
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. salt or to taste
1/2 tsp. black pepper or to taste
Optional additions:
Lemon zest
Chopped apple
Chopped celery
Hot sauce
Here's what you'll do:
- Prep the shrimp by peeling and deveining. If the shrimp is already prepped, then skip this step. Just make sure all the shells are off, including the little tail part that is sometimes left on.
- Place the shrimp into a medium pot, add water until just covered and place the pot on high heat.
- Keep an eye on the pot, stirring periodically, as the shrimp might be done before the water boils.
- Once all the shrimp are curled and no longer opaque, then remove from heat, drain and place shrimp in a bowl of ice water for a few minutes to stop the cooking.
- Remove shrimp from ice water, pat dry with towels and chop into about 1/2 inch pieces and place into a medium mixing bowl.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and give it a good stir with a large spoon until well combined.
- Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed. If you let the shrimp salad sit in the fridge for an hour or so before serving, the salt will absorb into the shrimp and you may need to add more salt right before serving, so taste often.
- Pile on top of toasted bread or crackers and enjoy!
