1. If you’re tired of the commonly
available Nicoise salad, you can try
other salad recipes from Nice such as
this shrimp and mesclun salad by
French Chef Arthur Dorshner. For this
recipe, French Dorshner makes use of
Royal red shrimp. Unlike regular
shrimp which is pale when raw, royal
shrimp is already pinkish in color even
if uncooked. It has a flavor and texture
similar to lobster and cook faster than
normal shrimp.
Mesclun is a term used for a mixture of young salad greens. It includes different kinds of lettuce such as
Romaine, Chicory, Escarole, Arugula, Iceberg, and Lola Rosa. Other leafy vegetables can also be added in the
mix as long as they can be eaten raw, such as mustard, watercress, and spinach. Others even add edible flowers.
In this recipe, Chef Dorshner mixes arugula, chervil, and endive, which are abundantly grown in Nice. Besides
salad greens, you can also add herbs to the mix to make the salad more dynamic. Different textures and shapes
can be quite appealing to the eyes and will make the dish all the more appetizing. Tons of easy cooking videos
are made available within the link, so feel free to drop by.
Basically, this cooking recipe can be broken down into three parts: making the mesclun by mixing the greens
together, making the dressing, and cooking the shrimps. You can start with peeling and gutting the shrimps and
making the dressing. Mix the greens while the shrimps are being cooked. The contrast of the warm shrimp and
the cool salad produces an appealing experience in the mouth.
Ingredients
28 oz. of royal shrimp
10 12 oz. of mesclun (young chervil, arugula, leafy lettuce, and
endive leaves)
1 oz. royal caviar (optional)
2 green onions
minced
herbs (basil, chervil, dill)
aromatic vinaigrette (1 1/2 oz. vinegar balsamic, 1 ½ oz. cl
extra virgin olive oil, 1 ½ oz. hazelnut oil, ½ oz. white wine, a
spoonful of mustard, salt, freshly ground pepper, truffle juice)
1. Remove the shells of the shrimps by first pulling out the heads and the legs and then peeling off the
remaining shell. With a small paring knife, gut the shrimps by cutting a quarter of an inch deep along the edge
of the back of the shrimps and remove the dark vein just under the surface. You can leave the shrimp tails intact
for a better presentation.
2. Sautee the shrimps in a pan with a little olive oil and chopped onions until they turn a nice rosy color. Season
with salt and pepper and sprinkle with some fresh thyme. In a salad bowl, mix all the salad greens together.
3. To make the dressing, whip together the rest of the ingredients: olive oil, hazelnut oil, balsamic vinegar,
white wine, mustard, truffle juice, minced herbs of basil, chervil, and dill, and season with salt and pepper.
4. Arrange the bed of mesclun on the center of the plate and place the shrimps around the greens. Put some
caviar (optional) on the side, decorate with thyme, drizzle with some dressing, and serve.