Mustard With Mutton

A shrimp (or prawn) salad makes a wonderful lunch or first course. We recently took one to a picnic and at a pinch one could also use it to fill a crusty baguette and have an amazing sandwich. You could of course buy pre cooked shrimp but I think roasting uncooked shrimp in the oven with olive oil, salt and pepper makes for a much tastier salad. This recipe is inspired by Ina Garten and is a mix up of a couple of her salad recipes. I love the crunch form the celery and the fennel adds a lovely subtle anise flavour.

Ingredients – Serves 4-6

1.2kg shrimp or prawns (medium size is best), peeled and deveined
Olive oil
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 cup good quality mayonnaise (I use Hellmans)
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1/2 a small fennel very finely sliced – I like to do this on a mandolin
1/2 a small red onion finely diced

Method

Preheat oven to 200C. Place prawns on a large sheet pan that can hold them in a single layer. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and cook for 10-12 minutes until pink firm and cooked through. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

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Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, vinegar, Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and some freshly ground black pepper. When the shrimp are cool, add them to the sauce and toss. Add the dill, fennel, celery and red onion and toss well. The flavors will improve if you allow the salad to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Otherwise, chill and serve at room temperature.