Tyler Florence
California Cobb Salad with Poached Shrimp and Green Goddess Dressing (Serves 4)
Time: 30 minutes
Green Goddess Dressing:
•½ cup sour cream
•½ cup mayonnaise
•1 lemon, juice only
•2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
•1 anchovy fillet
•½ cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
•¼ cup coarsely chopped cilantro
•2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
•2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
•Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
•Water, as required
Shrimp:
•24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
•1 lemon, cut in half
•1 bay leaf
•4 sprigs fresh thyme
•4 peppercorns
•2 cloves garlic, peeled
•Kosher salt
Salad:
•2 heads Bibb lettuce, leaves torn into bite-size pieces
•2/3 cup medium sized black pitted olives
•4 eggs, hard-boiled and cut lengthwise
•8 slices bacon, cooked and cut up into pieces
•1 cup organic grape tomatoes, split lengthwise
•1 cup crumbled blue cheese
•1 lemon, cut into wedges for garnish
•¼ bunch cilantro for garnish
To make the green goddess dressing, puree the ingredients together in a blender, until light green and creamy. Add water as required to achieve a smooth light consistency. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in the fridge to allow the flavors to come together. Refresh with lemon juice and season when ready to use.
To prepare the shrimp: Make a basic poaching broth (court bouillon) by adding the salt, pepper corns, and aromatics to the water and bring to a boil. Squeeze the lemons over the water to extract the juice and then throw the halves into the water. Bring to a boil, add the shrimp then turn off the heat. This ensures the shrimp get cooked at a gentle temperature allowing the flavors to infuse into them slowly. When they are cooked through they will turn pink - about 7-8 minutes. Then strain and reserve.
To assemble the salad: combine the bibb lettuce, bacon bits, olives and grape tomatoes in a large mixing bowl. Dress with green goddess dressing, tossing to coat everything evenly. Arrange egg halves on top followed by poached shrimp. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with lemon wedges.