I love a great salad and this salad  incorporates many of the elements of a traditional Niçoise salad, but substitutes seared shrimp for the traditional tuna. It’s a delicious dinner salad that makes for a lovely presentation. I paired the salad with Pacific Rim Dry Riesling from the Columbia Valley region of Washington state. It’s one of the most popular wines from the region, very reasonably priced, and the notes of light citrus are just right with this French salad.  The wine is well balanced and a great complement to  the seafood and  wide array of vegetables. A perfect meal to cheer in your weekend!

Serves 2-4, as a side or a main salad

Ingredients:

  • 12 jumbo gulf shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 10 ounces favorite baby greens
  • 1 15-0z can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
  • 5 or 6 small red potatoes, quartered
  • 4 cups Haricots verts, trimmed
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
  • 2 hard boiled eggs, halved
  • kosher salt and pepper
  • juice of 1-2 squeezed lemons
  • 1/4-1/2 cup olive oil, divided
  • flour, for dusting shrimp
  • 1-2 teaspoons old bay seasoning
  • 1-2 teaspoons greek seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 cup fresh dill sprigs

Directions:

for potatoes: Preheat oven to 400.  Toss potatoes in enough olive oil to coat lightly.  Season with salt and pepper and garlic powder.  Place on baking sheet and roast potatoes for about 30-35 minutes until tender and golden on edges.  Remove from oven and set aside.

for artichokes: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Rinse and drain artichoke quarters.  Season wth a bit of salt and pepper and 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Toss with 1 teaspoon of greek seasoning.  Roast in oven for about 10 minutes until just turning golden on edges.  Remove from oven and set aside.

for shrimp: Heat a skillet a heavy bottom skillet on medium-high heat with 1-2 tablespoons of oil.  Pat the prepared shrimp with paper towels and season shrimp with Old Bay Seasoning.  Lightly dust shrimp with flour and sear in oil for about 3 minutes a side until cooked through.

for beans: Boil haricots verts in salted water for about 6 minutes (just until tender), remove from heat and place in ice bath to preserve green color.  Drain beans in a colander once cooled and toss with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

assemble salad:  Place the greens on the bottom of your platter.  Group vegetables and shrimp in distinct groups, arranging each component however you feel it looks appealing. Garnish with fresh dill sprigs and salt and pepper on top of the entire salad. Squeeze lemon juice to taste and drizzle generously with olive oil.  Serve immediately with chilled wine.

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