SHRIMP SALAD WITH HORSERADISH RéMOULADE

Shrimp Salad With Horseradish Rémoulade image

In this simple dish, winter ingredients come together in a springlike way: a composed salad of shrimp and watercress, garnished with golden beets, celery and hard-cooked egg. There's a zippy horseradish rémoulade, spiked with fresh tarragon and dill.

Provided by David Tanis

Time 40m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 19

Ingredients

1 bay leaf
1 thyme sprig
Salt and pepper
12 large shrimp, about 1 pound, preferably wild
6 small yellow or red beets
2 tablespoons red wine or sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces (1 cup) crème fraîche
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
4 tablespoons freshly grated horseradish
1 tablespoon capers, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped dill
Juice of 1/2 lemon
4 handfuls watercress, tops only, about 6 ounces
1 cup sliced celery, from tender inner stalks
4 eggs, hard cooked for 9 minutes then cooled in ice water, peeled and halved

Steps:

Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add bay leaf, thyme sprig, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Reduce heat to a simmer and add shrimp. Cook shrimp until shells turn red, only a minute or two. Transfer to a large bowl of cold water, let cool, then peel and set aside.
Meanwhile, put beets in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook at a brisk simmer until tender when tested with a skewer, about 20 minutes. Remove and let cool on a plate until just cool enough to touch. Slip off beet skins and discard. Cut beets into small wedges. Put in a bowl, season generously with salt and pepper, and add vinegar and oil. Toss and let marinate for 15 minutes. (You may prepare beets up to a day ahead.)
Make the rémoulade: Stir together crème fraîche, mustard, cayenne, horseradish and capers. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, and stir in tarragon, parsley and dill. Refrigerate for an hour (or as long as overnight). Just before serving, stir in lemon juice and check seasoning.
Assemble the salad just before serving: Make a bed of watercress on a large platter. Spoon beets and any juices evenly over watercress, then sprinkle celery slices over top. Arrange shrimp here and there and surround with hard-cooked egg halves. Give a last, very light sprinkle of salt and serve. Pass rémoulade at the table.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 285, UnsaturatedFat 10 grams, Carbohydrate 14 grams, Fat 18 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 17 grams, SaturatedFat 6 grams, Sodium 701 milligrams, Sugar 8 grams, TransFat 0 grams