Description
Succulent Mediterranean Seafood Delight Salad brings coastal flavors dancing across your plate with fresh shrimp, tender calamari, and zesty herbs. Fresh ingredients combine elegantly, promising a light, refreshing meal you’ll savor from first bite to last.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Seafood Ingredients:
- 8 ounces (226 grams) imitation crab meat, flaked style or sticks cut into slices
- 8 ounces (226 grams) raw shrimp (51–60 count recommended)
Vegetable and Herb Ingredients:
- ½ cup (75 grams) finely diced celery
- 3 tablespoons (45 grams) minced red onion
- 1 ½ tablespoons (7 grams) chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
- 1 lemon, quartered
Seasoning and Dressing Ingredients:
- ½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- ½ cup (120 milliliters) mayonnaise
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with water, add a generous pinch of salt, and squeeze a quartered lemon into the liquid to create an aromatic broth.
- Drop the shrimp into the simmering citrus-infused water, monitoring closely until they transform into a vibrant pink hue and become translucent.
- Quickly transfer the shrimp using a slotted spoon into an ice bath, halting the cooking process and maintaining their delicate texture.
- Drain the shrimp thoroughly, gently patting them with clean kitchen towels to eliminate excess moisture.
- In a spacious mixing vessel, gently fold together the cooled shrimp, delicate imitation crab, crisp celery fragments, sharp red onion slivers, and fragrant dill.
- Drizzle Old Bay seasoning, fresh lemon juice, and creamy mayonnaise over the seafood medley, carefully tossing to ensure each morsel is evenly coated without fragmenting the tender proteins.
- Season with salt and freshly cracked pepper, adjusting to personal taste preferences.
- For optimal flavor harmony, allow the salad to rest in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes before serving, permitting the ingredients to meld together.
- Garnish with additional sprigs of fresh dill just before presenting, creating a visually appealing and aromatic seafood composition.
Notes
- Lemon-Infused Seafood Preparation: Boiling water with quartered lemon adds a bright, citrusy flavor that subtly enhances the seafood’s natural sweetness.
- Precision Cooking Technique: Briefly cooking shrimp prevents rubbery texture, ensuring tender, perfectly pink seafood that melts in your mouth.
- Rapid Cooling Method: Immediate ice bath stops the cooking process, locking in moisture and maintaining the shrimp’s delicate texture.
- Seasoning Balance: Old Bay and fresh herbs create a robust flavor profile that complements the mild seafood without overwhelming its natural taste.
- Dressing Harmony: Mayonnaise binds ingredients together, providing a creamy consistency that ties all the salad components into a cohesive dish.
- Serving Flexibility: Enjoy immediately for maximum freshness or chill for a few hours to let flavors meld and develop deeper complexity.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Appetizer, Dinner
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 70mg