Today I’m teaching a lunch class at EQ called “Summer Salads”.  I love our lunchtime classes- they’re quick and easy for both our students and EQ!  Here’s the recipe for one of the salads I’m doing. It’s from my book, Amy’s Table: Food for Family and Friends. 

Southern Shrimp Salad
Serves 6

Every time my family and I are in Florida we eat ourselves senseless on seafood salad. I love it on a slightly salty cracker- or right out of the fridge when no one’s looking. The difference between this salad and the Florida stuff is that I don’t add imitation crab. Add it if you’d like- I’m the first to admit it tastes good. A scoop of Southern Shrimp Salad on greens makes a nice lunch, or serve it on endive spears for a light hors d oeuvre.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes
Make ahead: Best made several hours in advance. Can be made one day ahead; refrigerate until ready to serve.
Tip: Heating the flavorful mixture in the cooking water for 5 minutes or more makes it, and therefore the shrimp, really flavorful. Use the same technique for shrimp cocktail. To get shrimp cocktail well-chilled for serving, place a Ziploc bag of ice in a shallow dish. Lay the shrimp on top of the ice-filled bag; cover and chill until ready to serve.

1 (3-ounce) bag Shrimp and Crab Boil
1 lemon cut in half
Salt 

1 ½ pounds medium shrimp, shells on

Dressing:
½ cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice plus more to taste

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

¼ cup finely chopped sweet onion
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves

½ teaspoon garlic powder

A generous pinch cayenne pepper

1 cup finely chopped celery
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish: Chopped chives, lemon slices
 
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil with the crab boil bag, lemon halves, and a generous amount of salt. Boil 5 minutes. Add the shrimp; cook at a low boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 3 minutes. Drain. When the shrimp are cool enough to handle, peel and de-vein. Roughly chop the shrimp.
In a medium bowl, mix together dressing ingredients. Stir in the chopped shrimp, celery and chives. Season to taste with salt, pepper and additional lemon juice. Refrigerate until well chilled, about 2 hours.
To Serve: Garnish with chopped chives and lemon slices.