Simple Squid and Rhode Island (Royal) Red Shrimp Salad

I’d cooked the squid and shrimp the day before.  Royal Red shrimp, aka Rhode Island Red shrimp are delicate deep-water denizens off the Connecticut / Rhode Island coast, and I am given to understand there is another population around Florida.  They are wild-caught.  The trick is to cook them quickly, absolutely no more than a minute.  They’ll be done even before the squid!  If these are overcooked, they turn very mushy.

Should you have the ingredients to hand, this is a quick and very healthy meal, with a light dressing.

Salad with Rhode Island Red shrimp, squid, avo, heirloom tomato, and lettuce

Prep time:  15 minutes, relaxedly
Cook time:  1 minute max for the seafood
Rest time:  Eat it up!
Serves: 1

• Several lettuce leaves, shredded (I used green leaf lettuce)
• 1 heirloom tomato, chopped
• 1/2 avocado
• a handful of squid 
• about 4 or so large royal red shrimp (AKA Rhode Island Red shrimp)
• 1.5 tablespoon EVOO
• 1.5 tablespoon Ponzu marinade (Marukan All Natural Ponzu Premium Sudachi Citrus Marinade – this is not the soy-based Ponzu sauce more readily found in supermarkets, although I have seen it in Whole Foods).  Replace with a light balsamic if need be.

For the seafood:

Set a pot of water to boil.  When boiling, add squid and shrimp (I added about 2/3rd pound of each, because the seafood was designated for multiple purposes).  The squid should not boil longer than a minute, the shrimp perhaps 50 seconds.

Drain under cold tap water and shell the shrimp.  Set aside.

For the salad:

In a salad bowl or plate, add a few leaves of rinsed and lightly shredded leaf lettuce.

Chop up the squid you plan to use into rings and tentacles; chop the shrimp into halves, chop the tomato coarsely, removing the core and reserving the liquids.  Slice open the avocado and take one half for slicing into the salad.

Arrange the above in layers as you wish.

For the dressing:  1 part extra virgin olive oil to one part Ponzu marinate.  Add the tomato liquid.

Pour over the salad, and serve, with optional cracked black pepper.

Close up!

To minimize the browning of the leftover avocado:  use a little Ponzu sauce, or perhaps a splash of lemon or cider vinegar over the exposed cut area, then wrap tightly with plastic wrap before returning to fridge.

This recipe has joined the Link Parties at:
Real Food Fridays, and also
Fiesta Friday, with special hosts Su and Laura

 

 

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