
Insalata degli Innamorati
Region: Italy
Category: Salads
Season: Any
Difficulty: Easy and Quick
In days past the idea of a preparation
being an aphrodisiac was more popular than today. The notion of a dish made for one’s lover has
a romantic element that is too often lost in our overly cynical world. If romance is not dead then romancing is
dying. One can resurrect the lost
delight of a romantic dinner by starting with this delicious salad created by
an unknown lover from that most romantic of culture’s, the Italian one. It is easy and fast, able to be made in
anticipation. Your romantic tête à tête
can be had over this dish with some chilled Spumante or rosé. Remember, too, that this dish is part of a
menu, so although it seems too little for two, you will be enjoying other
(aphrodisiacal) food.
Yield: Makes 2 servings
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
1 large ripe avocado
6 fresh large shrimp with their heads or defrosted headless shrimp, heads and/or tails removed and saved for making broth
1 stalk celery, chopped into tiny dice
4 walnuts, lightly crushed into smaller pieces
1/4 cup mayonnaise (store-bought or homemade)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1. Split the avocado in half, twist gently to separate the halves, remove the pit, and scoop out the flesh of one half and dice tiny. Leave the other half whole in its peel.
2. Bring a saucepan filled with water to a boil over high heat, salt abundantly, and cook the shrimp until firm and orange-red, 2 minutes. Drain and cool. Shell the shrimp and cut up into small pieces. Place the shrimp in a bowl with the diced avocado, celery, and walnuts.
3. In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, lemon juice, ketchup and cream to obtain a pink sauce. Toss the pink sauce with the shrimp mixture. Lay the avocado on a plate and stuff with the shrimp mixture, spooning excess stuffing around the base of the avocado. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until served. Serve in one plate with two spoons or forks and feed each other.
Variation:
Note:
Posted: 03/09/2009
Referenced Recipes: