Spicy shrimp with wilted lettuce and seasoned rice.

We tried this salad the other day as a salad and liked it a lot so today I made it with seasoned rice to make it a main dish.

Spicy Shrimp Salad With Mint 

MARK BITTMAN

• YIELD 4 to 6 servings  TIME 20 minutes

I used Romaine leaves, with the center cut out, instead of arugula and I heated the oil and lemon juice before dressing the greens so as to make it a wilted lettuce salad.  I put it in the middle of a ring of rice seasoned with a couple packets of Sazon Goya Con Culantro y Achiote 

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.