Hollowed-out lemon halves make perfect tea-size bowls for this refreshing salad.
Lemony Couscous-Shrimp Salad
Serves: Makes 12 Servings
Ingredients
- 6 small lemons
- 1 cup Shrimp Stock (recipe follows)
- 16 medium shrimp, deveined in shells with tails (reserve shells for Shrimp Stock, if making)
- ¾ cup dried couscous
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh tomato
- ¼ cup chopped finely chopped yellow bell pepper
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped buttery green olives
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
- 1 recipe Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
- Garnish: fresh mint leaves
Instructions
- Using a serrated knife in a gentle sawing motion, cut lemons in half lengthwise.
- Using a small grapefruit spoon, scrape lemon to remove fruit pulp, creating 12 “lemon bowls.” Using a serrated knife, cut a small piece from bottoms of lemon bowls so they will sit level.
- In a medium saucepan, bring Shrimp Stock to a boil. Add shrimp. Turn off heat, and cover pan with a lid. Let poach for 5 minutes. Reserving Shrimp Stock, use a slotted spoon to transfer shrimp from pan to a medium bowl, and cover with ice. Let sit for 2 to 3 minutes to stop shrimp from cooking. Remove shrimp and blot dry on paper towels. Using a sharp knife, finely chop shrimp.
- In a medium saucepan, bring reserved Shrimp Stock to a boil. Add dried couscous and salt. Turn off heat, cover pan with lid, and let sit for 5 minutes. Using a fork, stir in butter to combine and fluff couscous.
- Transfer couscous to a medium bowl. Stir in enough Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette to moisten couscous. Let cool completely before stirring in chopped shrimp, tomato, bell pepper, parsley, olives, and chives until combined.
- Fill lemon bowls with couscous mixture. Drizzle with additional vinaigrette, if desired.
- Garnish with fresh mint, if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
Make-Ahead Tip: Hollowed-out lemon halves can be prepared up to a day in advance, wrapped in plastic wrap, placed in a resealable plastic bag, and refrigerated. Lemony Couscous-Shrimp Salad can be prepared up to a day in advance, stored in a covered container, and refrigerated.
Shrimp Stock
Serves: Makes About 2 Cups
A simple, homemade stock using the shells of the seafood from the Lemony Couscous-Shrimp Salad imparts tremendous flavor to the shrimp and the couscous. Although you can substitute water or store-bought seafood stock, why would you?
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 16 shrimp shells
- 1 rib celery, chopped
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon dried minced onion
- 1 slice lemon
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups water, shrimp shells, celery, thyme, garlic, and onion. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover saucepan (tilt lid to prevent boiling over) and boil for 15 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Add lemon slice and close lid. Let sit for 15 minutes.
- Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain mixture into a medium bowl. Use immediately or let cool to room temperature, store in a covered container, refrigerate, and use within a day.
Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette
Bright with fresh citrus and fresh thyme, this tangy dressing is delightful on any salad but was created with our Lemony Couscous-Shrimp Salad in mind.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1½ teaspoons finely minced shallot
- 1 teaspoon coarse-ground Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a small glass jar with a screw-top lid, combine lemon juice, olive oil, shallot, mustard, sugar, thyme, salt, and pepper. Shake vigorously to emulsify. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour for flavors to meld. Shake again before using.
Notes
Make-Ahead Tip: Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette can be made up to a day in advance and refrigerated. Let come to room temperature before using. Shake to emulsify.
