When corn is in season at our local farmers market, I often find myself buying too much, lured by the discounted dozen. Not a problem when you have a recipe like this up your sleeve.
Sometimes the large frozen shrimp at Costco are actually more reliably good than that which is “fresh” at the grocery, so I almost always have a bag tucked away in the freezer. That, plus the fact that this salad is good served warm, at room temp or chilled, makes this tasty summer salad very versatile.
If you don’t have a favorite Cajun seasoning handy, There is a really good one attached to my Salmon and Grits recipe.
Spicy Shrimp and Corn Salad with Lime Vinaigrette
- Yield: serves 4-6 1x
Ingredients
- 1 1/4lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 3 teaspoons cajun seasoning (see link above for recipe or use your favorite store brand)
- 6 ears fresh corn (shucked, silks removed)
- 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon chile powder
- 1–2 teaspoon light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- salt and pepper
- fresh herbs to taste (chives, parsley, basil) (chopped)
Instructions
Dry the shrimp with paper towels and dust liberally with Cajun seasoning
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and blanch corn until crisp tender, about 3 minutes. Remove and let cool.
Cut cherry tomatoes into halves or thirds.
In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, chili powder, brown sugar and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Cut kernels from the corn cobs into a large mixing bowl. Add the cherry tomatoes. Add most of the lime vinaigrette and toss.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a large heavy skillet (cast iron works well here). Sauté the shrimp over high heat in a single layer until golden brown on one side and then toss them around for another minute until just cooked through.
Add the shrimp and the fresh herbs to the corn salad. Drizzle with remaining lime vinaigrette, taste for seasonings and serve, either warm or at room temperature.
