Pan Seared Shrimp
Mouthwatering and delicate pan seared shrimp means dinner is on the table in minutes.
How to Make this salad:
- Prep, pat the shrimp dry and season. Let rest on a wire rack while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Make a simple vinaigrette and chill.
- Cook the couscous and rest, covered, off heat. You want the couscous to stay warm so it absorbs that yummy vinaigrette.
- Prepare the salad ingredients and place in a serving bowl.
- Sear the shrimp over high heat. Read my pro-tips below.
- Assemble the salad with the veggies, toss in the warm couscous, top with shrimp and pour a few tablespoons of the vinaigrette over the bowl. Serve remaining vinaigrette on the side.
Pro-tips on cooking perfect shrimp:
- Buy the right kind of shrimp for starters. I like wild, gulf shrimp the best. If you buy frozen (which is perfectly fine), make certain there is no ice inside the bag.
- Farmed Shrimp from Vietnam often has a preservative that will “leech” out during cooking and make the shrimp soggy or mealy. Read the seafoodwatch.org list of what shrimp to buy HERE.
- Pat the shrimp dry with clean paper towels.
- Season the shrimp and let rest on a rack so any moisture will evaporate.
- Use a hot pan with fat added. Cook the shrimp on one side, without moving, once the shrimp has cooked through it will “release” easily from the pan. This should take maybe 1-2 minutes. depending on the size of your shrimp
- Turn the shrimp using tongs, not stirring, and sear on high heat on the other side until just opaque.
- Remove from heat immediately so the shrimp do not overcook.
Variations to this salad:
Other great shrimp recipes to try:
- Roasted Shrimp, Feta and Orzo Salad
- Panko Coated Fried Shrimp
- Southern Shrimp & Grits
- Spicy Shrimp and Soba Noodles
- Shrimp & Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 1 pound large shrimp (36-40) peeled and deveined. I prefer gulf coast shrimp
- 1 TBSP Old Bay Seasonings
- 4 cups salad greens
- .25 cup small cherry tomatoes halved
- ½ cup sliced purple onion
- ½ cup cucumber peeled and sliced
- ¼ cup chopped artichoke hearts.
- 2 TBSP unsalted butter
- 2-3 unit sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 TBSP chopped fresh rosemary
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and minced.
- 2 unit large lemons zested and juiced
- ½ cup olive oil plus extra for the shrimp
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 ½ tsp pink salt
- ½ tsp ground pepper
- 1 cup large pearl couscous
- 1 ½ cups water
Instructions
Prepare the Couscous:
- In a large saucepan, heat 1/2 tbsp olive oil. Add couscous, 1/2 tsp salt and toast until lightly browned. Add in water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low , cover and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat but keep lid on.
- Make the Vinaigrette: To a large jar, add the juice of 1 lemon, 2 tsp lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 garlic cloves, Dijon mustard and 1/2 cup olive oil. Using an immersion blender, pulse the mixture until fully emulsified. Add more lemon or olive oil if desired. Chill until ready to serve.
For the Shrimp:
- Pat shrimp dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle lightly with the old bay and let rest on a wire rack while preparing the other ingredients.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoons of olive oil. Add shrimp to oil, sear for 1 minute without touching and turn using cooking tongs. Cook the shrimp until lightly browned- about 1-2 minutes. Do not overcook.
- Turn heat to low and add to the pan the herbs, butter, remaining salt and pepper and 1 clove of minced garlic. Add in the remaining lemon juice and toss well to completely coat the shrimp.
To Serve:
- In a large salad bowl: add greens, onions, cucumber, tomatoes, artichokes. Fluff couscous with fork and add to salad. Toss shrimp with 2 tablespoons of the emulsified dressing into the bowl. Serve immediately with extra dressing on the side.
