Grilled Gazpacho Salad with Shrimp
Check out the July issue of Bon Appetit magazine.
Elizabeth was featured as one of three "BBQ Masters" along with BBQ Buddies, Kenny Callaghan of Blue Smoke Restaurant (NYC) and Paul Kirk, a.k.a, The Baron of Barbecue. Elizabeth created 2 exclusive recipes for this story, Grilled Gazpacho Salad with Shrimp and Char-Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Three-Herb Chimichurri. We urge you to try both the recipes.
Grilled Gazpacho Salad with Shrimp
Serving Size - 8 people
Ingredients
2 heads of garlic, peeled and separated into cloves
8 large firm Roma tomatoes
1 each, yellow and red bell pepper
2 small or 1 ½ large seedless cucumbers
1 large sweet onion, such as Vidalia
2 bunches of scallions
24 black tiger shrimp in the shell (16-20 count)
2 1-inch slices of country bread
1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
4 tablespoons olive oil, or more to taste plus more for grilling
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar, or more to taste
6 tablespoons chiffonade of basil
Kosher salt, preferably Morton's
Freshly ground black pepper
Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
Grilling Method: Direct/Medium Heat
Prepare a charcoal fire or preheat gas grill on high. Reserve 2 large cloves of garlic and toss the rest in just enough olive oil to coat. Place the cloves in 2 layers of heavy-duty foil and season with kosher salt. Seal foil packet and put on the grill over indirect medium-high heat for 45 minutes. Remove garlic when soft and golden. Reduce heat to medium once the garlic has roasted and been removed from grill.
Stem the tomatoes and cut in half lengthwise. Core and seed the peppers. Peel and halve the cucumbers. Peel the onions and cut into thick slices. Cut only the roots off the scallions. Lightly coat all the vegetables, the shrimp and the slices of bread with a thin layer of olive oil and season lightly with salt. Place vegetables directly on the cooking grate over medium direct heat.
Grill all the vegetables except the tomatoes until marked and crisp-tender, about 10-15 minutes, turning once halfway through the cooking time. When they are done, remove the vegetables from the grill to a bowl that will collect any juices that escape from the vegetables. You can add these juices to the salad or save them for another use. Next, clean the cooking grate if necessary with a brass-bristle brush and place the tomatoes skin-side down on the cooking grate. If there is enough room, place shrimp and bread on the cooking grate as well. Grill about 5 minutes total, turning once halfway through the cooking time. Remove from grill and add tomatoes to the bowl of vegetables. Place the shrimp and the grilled bread in two separate containers. Immediately rub the grilled bread on both sides with the reserved garlic cloves; discard the garlic cloves and set aside.
Roughly chop the vegetables. Whisk the olive oil and vinegar together; dress the vegetables and toss to combine. Sprinkle the basil over the dressed vegetables and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings with Tabasco and salt. Add the pint of sliced grape tomatoes and gently toss to combine them. Chop the bread into bite-size croutons and toss with the vegetables (the bread will help absorb some of the juices from the vegetables and keep the salad from getting too ""soupy."") Finally, peel and chop the shrimp in half or thirds—you want them to be large chunks and gently fold into the salad. The gazpacho should be highly seasoned. Eat warm, at room temperature or chill until serving.
Ladle Gazpacho Salad into tea cups or martini glasses. Garnish each with a lime wedge and squeeze lime over salad just before eating.
ALL RECIPES ©ELIZABETH KARMEL 2020