Thai Grilled Shrimp Salad

Shrimp seared on high heat, keeping the flesh pearly and firm under a lightly smoky crust. A sharp balance between the heat of bird's eye chili and the bright acidity of lime juice.

• Prep time: 20 min
• Cook time: 5 min
• Difficulty: Easy
• Calories: 202
• Protein: 29 g
• Carbs: 9 g
• Fat: 5 g

Ingredients

• 500 g Wild shrimp ( peeled and deveined )
• 2 piece lemongrass ( finely sliced )
• 1 piece Red onion ( thinly sliced )
• 1 piece Fresh cilantro ( leaves picked )
• 1 piece Mint fresh ( sliced )
• 2 piece Thai chili ( chopped )
• 2 piece Garlic ( cloves crushed )
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 4 tbsp Lime juice
• 1 tbsp palm sugar ( grated )
• 1 tbsp Peanut oil

Instructions

1. Dressing preparation

   In a mortar, pound the garlic and Thai chilies into a coarse paste. Add palm sugar, fish sauce, and lime juice. Stir until the sugar is fully dissolved. The sauce should be balanced between salty and acidic.

2. Aromatic preparation

   Finely slice the lemongrass, using only the white tender part. Thinly slice the red onion. Pick the coriander and mint leaves. Set everything aside in a large bowl.

3. Searing the shrimp

   Heat a pan with peanut oil until smoking. Toss in the shrimp. Sear for 1 minute per side to get a nice char. The flesh must stay translucent in the center; do not overcook to avoid a rubbery texture.

4. Final assembly

   Pour the hot shrimp into the bowl with the herbs and onion. Add the dressing. Toss quickly so the heat from the shrimp releases the herbs' essential oils without cooking them. Serve immediately.

Chef's tips

• The secret is the mortar: pounding garlic and chili releases oils that a knife never will.
• Only cook the shrimp at the last minute; they should be warm when mixing so they don't wilt the fragile herbs.

Storage

Consume immediately. This salad does not keep; the lime would overcook the shrimp and the herbs would turn black.