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.
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
- ¼ 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
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Nutritional Information
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Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
438 calories; 27 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 12 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 34 grams protein; 398 milligrams cholesterol; 541 milligrams sodium
Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data. -
4 to 6 servings
Preparation
- 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.
40 minutes
Dining and Cooking