Steak and shrimp salad

I went to a road side farmers stand and got some okra and tomatoes for dinner tonight. I grilled a steak but was afraid it would not be enough so I added a shrimp salad.  I was wrong. It all was too much. Neither one of us finished everything.

Spicy Shrimp Salad With Mint 

MARK BITTMAN

• YIELD 4 to 6 servings  TIME 20 minutes

This light, summery Minimalist recipe for shrimp salad, from 1998, still carries a lot of heft. Lightly sweet shrimp is enhanced by cayenne, paprika, garlic and a bit of lemon juice. A bed of arugula and mint adds freshness to cut through the heat. If it’s too hot out to turn on the broiler, try this recipe on the grill.

Featured in: The Minimalist; The Essence Of Shrimp. 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds shrimp in the 15-to-30-a-pound range, peeled (deveined, if you like)
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic, or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 30 to 40 mint leaves
• 6 cups arugula and other greens

PREPARATION

1. Preheat broiler; adjust the rack, moving it as close to the heat source as possible. Place a large ovenproof skillet or thick-bottomed roasting pan on the stove over low heat.
2. Combine the shrimp with garlic, salt, cayenne, paprika, half the olive oil and the 2 teaspoons of lemon juice; stir to blend. Turn heat under the skillet to high.
3. When skillet smokes, toss in shrimp. Shake the pan once or twice to distribute them evenly, then immediately place skillet in the broiler.
4. Mince about one-third of the mint, and set aside. Tear remaining leaves, and toss them with the arugula. Stir remaining olive oil and lemon juice together in a bowl.
5. The shrimp are done when opaque, usually 3 to 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a plate; it is fine if they cool for a moment. Add shrimp juices to olive oil-lemon juice mixture, and stir. Dress the greens with this mixture, and toss; if the greens seem dry, add a little more olive oil or lemon juice, or both. Place greens on a platter, and arrange shrimp on top or around them; garnish shrimp with the remaining minced mint.