Each housewife will have at least five salads recipes that can be combined under one name Caesar. Today we decided to join the community of lovers of this dish and tell you how to properly and tasty prepare Caesar salad with shrimp. The classic recipe is simple and clear, even a novice housewife will cope with the task. Indulge yourself and your household with a delicious, light, diet salad.
Culinary fantasy field
Perhaps this is what the classic Caesar salad recipe can be called. The dish can be diluted and supplemented with various ingredients to your taste. A big plus is that the recipe does not limit and does not give exact instructions regarding the number of products in the salad. They can be put in a dish in any proportions.
However, there are fundamental products, so to speak, a framework that remains unchanged. The classic Caesar salad with shrimps should contain: Parmesan cheese, green lettuce leaves (it’s not necessarily to be romaine, which, incidentally, is not always easy to find in our stores), home-made crackers (they are tastier than store ones, whatever one may say), as well as dressing based on fish sauce, anchovies or capers.
How to choose a shrimp?
Selection of ingredients for Caesar salad with shrimp is an event that should be approached thoroughly. Particular attention should be paid to the preparation and selection of shrimp. Regarding the acquisition of this product, give preference to a trusted supermarket or market. For cooking, both large "royal" and small "salad" shrimps are suitable. Here, as they say, whoever likes what.
When buying shrimp, be sure to pay attention to the data indicated on the package. The label should contain information about the manufacturer, date of manufacture and packaging, shelf life and storage conditions.
Be sure to look at the tail. Proper technology involves freezing live shrimp. If the tail is twisted, then they were frozen correctly. A straight tail will be evidence of improper freezing of the product. It’s better not to use these for preparing the classic Caesar salad with shrimp.
Not the first freshness of the product will also be spoken by the head. Dark spots or even the black color of the head of the crustacean will indicate the staleness of the product. But the green head of the shrimp does not bode well (as many assume).
How to cook shrimp?
In the classic Caesar salad with shrimp, this ingredient plays an important role. The taste of crustaceans should be juicy, soft, sweetish. How often can you get a shrimp salad in a restaurant where they are just rubber? Often. Try to avoid this at home cooking.
Firstly, the cooking time should be calculated correctly. Five minutes maximum. Some housewives defrost them before sending shrimp into boiling water, but this does not need to be done. Throw the product directly from the bag, in frozen form, into boiling water.
When buying, pay attention to the inscription on the package. If the shrimp is freshly frozen, then cook them for about four to five minutes. But sold and boiled crustaceans. They should be cooked for a maximum of two minutes.
For a richer flavor, you can add to the water, where shrimps are boiled, various aromatic additives. This can be soy sauce, bay leaf, a slice of lemon, dill, coriander, several cloves of garlic, etc.
Crackers
The next important ingredient in a simple shrimp Caesar salad recipe is crackers. They can be bought at the store, but it is better to cook at home yourself. Do not worry, it takes a little time.
Which bread to choose - decide for yourself. Someone loves Caesar with white bread crumbs, while others prefer black croutons. Take the bread, cut it into thin slices. Grind each slice into even cubes. In a small plate, mix the slices of bread with garlic, salt and olive oil. Lay them on a baking sheet. Place in the oven for five to seven minutes to lightly brown and crunch. The temperature in the oven is 200 degrees.
List of Essential Ingredients
We discussed important points, learned to choose and know how to cook shrimp for salad. Now you can go to the list of products that are useful for cooking Caesar.
- 170 g lettuce leaves;
- 12-14 shrimps of medium size (if you take "salad", then add another 5-6 pieces);
- 10 pitted olives;
- 80 g anchovies;
- 2 tablespoons (grated) grated parmesan (or any other hard cheese);
- 2 large handfuls of homemade croutons;
- 120 g of cherry tomatoes;
- clove of garlic;
- 3 tablespoons olive oil;
- 18 g of capers;
- salt;
- 30 g of grated parmesan;
- 25 g sweet mustard;
- 80 g anchovy fillets;
- 120 g of natural yogurt;
- 160 g of mayonnaise.
Stage one
Shrimps for the classic Caesar salad recipe can be prepared in two ways. Just cook frozen or fry in oil, marinating in advance. The cooking process we have already described above, now let's talk about frying.
Cooking shrimp marinade. In a bowl, mix chopped garlic, a little olive oil and ground black pepper. You can add thyme or rosemary, dill or parsley for the flavor. Ten minutes will be enough for the shrimp to be saturated with all the aromas of spices. Now fry them for a few minutes in olive oil. Fire is medium. After frying the crustaceans, it is recommended to put it on a paper towel or napkin to get rid of excess fat.
Stage Two
We turn to the salad. The lettuce should be washed, separated from the stalk and torn by hand or cut into large pieces with a knife. Cherry tomatoes are also washed and cut into two parts. Grind cheese with a fine grater. Some recipes also contain quail eggs. If you decide to add such an ingredient to the dish, then it is recommended to cut boiled eggs into two even halves. Try to find homemade eggs that differ from the store eggs with a brighter and more saturated yellow color of the yolk. They will look more harmonious and appetizing in a dish.
Stage Three
Now you need to prepare a dressing for Caesar salad with shrimp. Mix in a plate all the ingredients listed in the list: capers, anchovies, olive oil and yogurt, mayonnaise, chopped garlic, lemon juice, sweet mustard and salt.
Stage Four
Continuing the conversation on how to cook Caesar salad with shrimps, we gradually approached the final stage of cooking. Assembly is recommended in a large salad bowl. So it will be much more convenient to mix numerous products. Then the salad can already be laid out in portioned plates.
First, place the green leaves in the salad bowl and add a few tablespoons of sauce. Shuffle. Lettuce is the most difficult to mix product, so we recommend mixing them with dressing separately. Now you can add the rest of the ingredients: shrimp, egg, crackers, cherry tomatoes. Again, put a few spoons of dressing. Mix by lightly shaking the plate. Cover it with a lid or other plate to prevent food from scattering. Sprinkle the salad with grated parmesan. Garnish with a leaf of parsley or mint.
On a note
The specified number of ingredients for the sauce will make it possible to prepare ten servings of dressing. For this set of products for the salad itself, two to four servings (spoons) of sauce are required. The rest can be stored in the refrigerator for about three days. This is very convenient: prepare a dressing once, and then use it for various salads for several days.
If you notice that lettuce leaves have slightly faded, we recommend that you simply lower them for a few minutes in ice water. Now the green leaves are crispy and tasty again. In order not to work on “resuscitation” of leaves, get a fresh salad and use it for cooking on the same day.
For the preparation of toast for salad, you can take yesterday’s bread. The main thing is not to overdo it when you dry it. Otherwise, even a delicious sauce will not save the situation. The dish will be spoiled.
If possible, be sure to add Worcester sauce to the salad dressing. It contains a huge number of components that just cannot be assembled. Not every housewife has all the ingredients in the kitchen. It contains malt vinegar, ginger, shallots, and various spices and seasonings, including coriander, nutmeg, curry, thyme, tarragon, chili pepper, tamarind, celery. A genuine sauce cannot be made at home. Buy, do not save. He will enrich Caesar salad with an incredible set of aromas and flavors.