Camarones a la Vinagreta

[kirra]

Camarones a la Vinagreta
Shrimp with Lime Dressing & Crunchy Vegetables
Rick Bayless; Mexico--One Plate at a Time

Ingredients:

Camarones:

1 lime, halved
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, very coarsely ground
1/4 teaspoon allspice berries, very coarsely ground
3 bay leaves
12 ounces shrimp (small ones—like 40- to 50- count—work well here), in their shells

Esalada:

1/2 small red onion, cut into ¼-inch dice
1 ripe medium-small tomato, cored and cut into ¼-inch dice
5 radishes, finely diced
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
5 tablespoons vegetable oil, preferably half olive oil and half vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 or 3 leaves romaine lettuce, for garnish
sprigs of cilantro, for garnish

Preparation:

Shrimp:
Squeeze the two lime halves into a medium saucepan, then add the two squeezed rinds, the black pepper, allspice, bay leaves and 1 quart water. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.

Raise the heat to high, add the shrimp, re-cover and let the liquid return just barely to a simmer. Immediately remove the pan from the heat, hold the lid slightly askew and strain off all the liquid. Re-cover tightly, set aside for 5 to 8 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through, then rinse the shrimp under cold water to stop the cooking.
Peel the shrimp, then devein them (if you want) by running a knife down the back to expose the dark intestinal track and scraping it out. If the shrimp are medium or larger, cut them into ½ -inch bits; place in a bowl.

Prepping:
Add the red onion, tomato, radish and cilantro to the shrimp. In a small bowl or jar wit a tight fitting lid, combine the lime juice, oil and salt.

Combining & Serving:
Shortly before serving, mix the dressing ingredients thoroughly, then pour over the shrimp mixture. Toss to coat everything well, cover and refrigerate or set aside at room temperature.

Line a shallow bowl with the lettuce leaves. Taste the shrimp mixture for salt, scoop it into the prepared bowl and serve, garnished with sprigs of cilantro. Makes about 3 cups, enough for 12.