Bay Shrimp and Avocado Salad


Zinfandel Grill
705 Gold Lake Drive, Suite 380
Folsom, CA 95630
(916) 985-6171

Fresh California cuisine is what's on the menu at the Zinfandel Grill in Folsom, and Chef Rebecca Gansberger shows us how to make a light and tasty Bay Shrimp and Avocado appetizer. The restaurant fires up its wood oven to cook a variety of pizzas while a mesquite grill adds flavor to the fish. During your visit, you can enjoy your meal by eating on the patio near the fireplace and waterfall. The menu is also packed with pasta, soups, and salads.

Number of Servings
4

Ingredients and Prep
Bay Shrimp

  • 12-16 Ounces Bay Shrimp
  • 2 T Lemon Juice
  • 2T Olive Oil
  • ½ t salt

Make sure the shrimp is well drained. Toss it with the lemon juice, olive oil and salt. Keep cold until you are ready to assemble the salads.

Diced Cucumbers

  • 1 English Cucumber, peeled, cut in half, seeds and pulp scooped out. Save the peel and pulp for next recipe
  • 1 t salt
  • 2 t rice vinegar

Cut the cucumber halves in thin strips and then cut the strips into an even, fine dice. Toss the diced cucumber with the salt and let it drain in a small colander for about 10 minutes. Toss with the vinegar.

Cilantro-Cucumber Juice

  • Peelings, seeds, and pulp from one cucumber
  • 1 medium bunch cilantro
  • 3 T Canola Oil
  • 3 T Cold water
  • ½ t salt


Blanch the cilantro in boiling salted water for 15 seconds and ice immediately. Drain and squeeze as much water out of the bunch as possible. Chop the tops of the cilantro bunch off (small stems are OK) and discard the stems. Combine the ingredients in the blender and puree until very smooth. Strain through a fine sieve or cheesecloth by allowing the juice to drain through slowly.

Avocado Salsa

  • 2 Avocados, firm but ripe
  • 1 T lime juice
  • 1 Scallion
  • ¼ t salt

Pinch black pepper Make sure you have the limejuice squeezed before you cut the avocados. Cut the avocados in half and remove the pit. Scoop the flesh out of the skin. Trim out any brown spots from the flesh and discard. Cut each piece in half horizontally and then dice into small cubes. As you cut each avocado, put the cubes immediately into the limejuice. Trim the root from the scallion and remove about 3 inches from the green end. Cut the scallion in half lengthwise and then mice it finely. Gently fold the minced scallions, salt and pepper into the avocado and limejuice.

Spicy Pepper Coulis

  • 2 Red Jalapenos, roasted and seeded
  • 1 roasted red pepper
  • 1-2 T Water
  • ½ t champagne vinegar

Pinch salt Combine the ingredients in the blender and puree until smooth. Strain through a fine wire sieve, pushing the puree through with a ladle. Add additional water to the coulis if it seems too thick.

Crispy Wonton Skins

  • 1 Package square wonton skins
  • 3-4 cups peanut, canola, or other oil suitable for deep-frying


Salt Using a sharp knife, cut the skins into thin (1/16 inch) strips a few at a time. Heat the oil in a deep pot carefully over a medium flame. When it is about 350 Degrees, or shimmering but not smoking, fry the wonton strips in small batches. Stir them carefully so they brown evenly and remove them with a strainer or skimmer as soon as they are golden brown. Lay them out on a paper towel to cool. Sprinkle lightly with salt. You will only use about a quarter of the skins for this recipe

Instructions
Place a ring mold, pastry cutter or other open round ring with a diameter of around 3 inches in the center of the plate. (Alternately, you can assemble the salad free form) Spoon ¼ of the shrimp into the ring and pack it down. The shrimp should fill about 2/3 of the ring. Cover the shrimp with avocado salsa and gently pact it down until its level with the top of the ring. Pressing down on the avocado to start, lift the rind from the shrimp and avocado, repeat for other plates. Drizzle the pepper coulis around the shrimp on each plate and spoon cucumber-cilantro juice around the coulis. Sprinkle diced cucumber on top of the two sauces around the shrimp and carefully place a mound of wonton skins on top of the shrimp/avocado. Toss a small handful of garnish with lemon juice and olive oil; place it on top of the wonton skins.

Suggestions
The avocado salsa should be prepared as close to the meal as possible but everything else could be prepared a day in advance. Garnish with mixed sprouts, radish sprouts, cilantro sprigs or baby lettuces a little lemon juice and olive oil.