Grilled Spice-Rubbed Shrimp “Niçoise” Salad

Up until about 3 months ago, I wasn’t able to watch any Bobby Flay show on FoodNetwork with Kyle in the room.  He couldn’t stand Bobby, saying that he was way too full of himself. Well, duh. But I’ve always thought that this personality trait was what made Bobby so good at what he does.  And because of this pull and push about this FN celeb, I never really got around to making any of Bobby’s recipes until we came across a recipe for sausage-stuffed portobello mushrooms back in March.  We loved the recipe but I never blogged about it because my photos were horrific – you can pop over to Annie’s blog for the recipe and some really pretty photos though.  And after testing this one out, we were both sold on Bobby’s abilities.  After all that time.  But I digress.

So when perusing the cookbook section of my local bookstore last month, I picked up Bobby’s Grill It! cookbook and after flipping through for a few minutes, I was sold.  This recipe here is the first one we’ve tried from the book and we were very, very pleased with the results.  And you can thank Kyle for choosing it (go figure).   It is a wee bit time-consuming of a recipe and I requested that Kyle help me with the prep the next time we make it but the salad was certainly worth every bit of my time; it was FABULOUS!!!  I do recommend cutting down the spice rub for the shrimp by half because it was very strong but I wouldn’t change a single thing about the rest of the recipe.  It’s a salad full of beans, tomatoes, onions, grilled fingerling potatoes (yum!!!) and topped with grilled shrimp (though traditionally topped with tuna) and a delicious vinaigrette. And mom, if you’re reading this, I ate  (and loved!) the green beans!! Only you would be so proud!!  So if you’re looking for an impressive main course salad to serve to guests this summer, you must give this one a try!!

Grilled Spice-Rubbed Shrimp “Niçoise” Salad

source: Bobby Flay, Grill It!, pages 227-228

For the salad:

• Kosher salt
• 4 ounces fresh wax beans (which I couldn’t find so I omitted)
• 4 ounces fresh green beans
• 1 pound fingerling potatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 pound red and yellow grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Niçoise Vinaigrette, recipe follows

For the Spice-Rubbed Shrimp:

• 4 teaspoons ground fennel seed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound jumbo (21 to 25 count) shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1/4 cup olive oil

1. Fill a large bowl halfway with ice water and set aside.
2. Bring a medium pot of salted cold water to a boil. Add the yellow and green beans and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until just crisp-tender. Drain and immediately plunge into the ice water to stop the cooking. Let sit in the ice water for a few minutes, and then drain well.
3. Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with salted cold water, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the potatoes are almost cooked through (a knife or skewer inserted into the center should meet just a little resistance), 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well and let cool slightly.
4. Heat your grill to high.
5. Once cool enough to handle, slice the potatoes lengthwise, brush with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Place on the grill, cut side down, and cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn over and grill until just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Keep the grill on.
6. Combine the cooked beans, grilled potatoes, tomatoes, onion, basil and parsley in a large bowl. Ad the vinaigrette and gently toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and let sit at room temperature while you prepare the shrimp.
7. To make the spice rub, combine the fennel, mustard and coriander with the salt and pepper in a bowl.
8. Put the shrimp in a large bowl and toss with the spice rub until evenly coated. Add the 1/4 cup olive oil and toss to coat. Place the shrimp on the grates of the grill in an even layer and grill until golden brown and slightly charred, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Turn the shrimp over and continue grilling until just cooked through, 45 seconds to 1 minute longer.
9. Arrange the salad on 4 large plates and top with the shrimp.

For the Niçoise Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon anchovy paste (don’t skip this!!)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, honey, garlic and anchovy paste and season with salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil.