Description
Do you want to learn to make a salad that looks, and tastes like it comes from a Michelin starred restaurant in the South of France? Let's do it! Here is a step by step guide to making La Salade Tropezienne - a fancy Shrimp, Peach and Goat Cheese salad with a Rosé Vinaigrette inspired by Saint-Tropez.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs of cooked Cocktail Shrimp (you know, like the ring you buy in the grocery store... trust me on this!)
- 6 peaches (I like to use 3 white peaches for the salad, and 3 yellow peaches - 2 for grilling, 1 for the vinaigrette)
- 2 mini cucumbers
- 4 oz of Goat Cheese (preferably honey goat cheese - I love the extra sweetness)
- 1 lemon
- 4 branches of fresh lemon thyme (or plain thyme if you can't find lemon thyme)
- 1/2 cup of basil (you will need about 20 small leaves)
- 1/2 cup of cilantro - just the leaves
- For the Rosé Vinaigrette:
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1.5 tbsp Rosé Wine (preferably the same that you will enjoy with the salad!)
- 1/2 tbsp lemon Juice
- 1 peach cut into small pieces
- Fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
This dish does not require much cooking and is much easier than you think to prepare. The beauty is all in the presentation...and the delicate balance of flavors.
1) preheat the oven to 425 F. If you have a grill pan (like this Le Creuset I love), place it in the oven as it heats. You can also use a standard cookie sheet too - let it get nice and hot before adding the peaches.
Note: The BBQ works brilliantly for grilling peaches too.
2) Wash and pat dry your herbs. Set them aside.
Shrimp, peach and goat cheese salad
3) Prepare the shrimp. Remove the tails, peel if needed, and slice the cooked shrimp length wise. You can use grilled shrimp if you like, however I prefer the poached shrimp for their delicate flavor and texture in this dish.
Now, let's begin plating. Lay your plates out next to your work station so that you can add ingredients and build your dish as you go.
4) place the shrimp directly on the center of the plate, dividing evenly between the four plates, cut side down. Place in a circular formation, being careful not to pile up the shrimp. You want to build a flat base for the rest of the salad
5) Break apart small pieces of the goat cheese and sprinkle over each plate of shrimp, randomly.
6) Cut your mini cucumbers in half length wise, then slice on the diagonal for thin, diagonally sliced half moon shapes.
I like to place some of the cucumber slices on the goat cheese, pointing up to add more height variations to the dish. Sprinkle the rest around the center of each plate.
7) Now, take three of the peaches and cut into thin slices. Spread the slices between the plates, laying the flat over the salad.
8) Using your fingernails, scrape the leaves off the lemon thyme and sprinkle over each dish.
Grilling the Peaches
9) By now, your oven should be hot enough to roast the peaches. Take two of the peaches and cut them in each in half, and remove the pit.
Very carefully remove the grill pan from the oven and set on a heat safe surface. Lay the peach halves (skin up) directly on the grill and return to the oven for five minutes only! Set the timer - my tip is to always set the timer!)
While the peaches are cooking, lets make the Peach Rosé vinaigrette.
Peach Rosé Vinaigrette
10) In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, Rosé wine , pepper and salt.
11) Dice the remaining peach into small cubes. Add to the vinaigrette. Stir.
Taste a little bit and adjust the pepper as needed. Yummy!
Finishing the salad
12)Once the peaches are done (5 minutes, it doesn't take long), remove them from the oven and let cool for a minute before slicing each half into quarters.
Gently lay the quarters onto each plate.
13) Spoon the peach Rosé vinaigrette over each salad.
14)Place the basil leaves and cilantro leaves delicately over each plate.
15) For the finishing touch, zest one lemon (I use my Microplane zester for this) evenly over the 4 dishes.
Voilà! An incredibly delicious, fancy restaurant worthy dish that you can make at home in under 20 minutes. Serve with a fresh baked baguette and a glass of Rosé wine.
Notes
Wine Pairing
So many delicious Rosé wines that we enjoy in the USA actually come from just outside of Saint-Tropez. I really enjoy Château Minuty, Château les Valentines, Château de Berne and Whispering Angel. Provençal Rosé is known for being fruity but delightfully crisp and light at the same time.
I hope you have enjoyed recipe #4 of the #saladsaturdayseries, La Tropezienne - a fancy shrimp, peach and goat cheese salad with a Rosé Vinaigrette.
Week 1: La Salade Niçoise
Week 2: La Salade Parisienne
Week 3: La Salade Lyonnaise
Up next, and the last salad of the series is La Mentonnaise!
Please share your salad recipes with me using the hashtag on instagram or commenting below. I love to hear from you!