Chef Lynn Crawford has made very clear her love of cooking for the seasons and using local ingredients.
From appearances as a Food Network personality to her restaurant Ruby Watchco (at which a unique, of-the-moment menu changes each night), she’s all about what’s fresh. And speaking of fresh, Chef Lynn is a big fan of using Florida grapefruits to carry us into spring with lighter but still tangy dishes. “I cook with the seasons, I cook with ingredients, I cook for the people I’ve invited over, but I like when people participate," she says. With herbs, avocados, grapefruits and cashews to prepare for this dish, it's easy to get friends and family involved. Plus, set your "grill master" loose on the BBQ to get the shrimp just right!
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) grapefruit zest
- 3 tablespoons (45 mL) grapefruit juice
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon (15 mL) lime juice
- Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
- 2 Florida ruby red grapefruits, segmented
- 1 ripe avocado, diced
- 3 cups (750 mL) fresh watercress, tough stems removed
- ½ cup (125 mL) fresh cilantro leaves
- ¼ cup (60 mL) fresh mint leaves
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) chopped roasted cashews
- Calypso Shrimp:
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 1 habanero pepper, seeded
- 1 tablespoon (15 mL) fresh thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoons (10 mL) grapefruit zest
- 2 teaspoons (10 mL) kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) each brown sugar and ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon (2 mL) ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) fresh ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) vegetable oil (approx)
- 1 pound (454 g) raw jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
INSTRUCTIONS
- Calypso Shrimp: Pulse together onions, habanero, thyme, grapefruit zest, salt, sugar, allspice, cumin and pepper in small food processor. Drizzle in enough oil to form a paste. Coat shrimp with paste and let marinate for 20 minutes.
- Grill shrimp over medium-high grill, turning once until cooked through, about 5 minutes; keep warm.
- Whisk together grapefruit zest and juice, oil, lime juice and season with salt and pepper. Toss grapefruit and avocado with 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of the dressing.
- Toss remaining dressing with watercress, cilantro, mint and cashews.
- Divide shrimp among 4 plates. Spoon grapefruit mixture over top and place watercress mixture on top to serve.