Bacon Dressing on a Salad of Wilted Escarole, Grilled Shrimp, Grapefruit, Avocado and Bacon
Description
This salad of wilted escarole, grilled shrimp, grapefruit, avocado and bacon is just perfect with its bacon dressing as either an appetizer or a main course.
At a Glance
Equipment
No special, culinary equipment is needed to prepare this wonderful salad recipe.
Ingredients
For the Salad of Wilted Escarole, Grilled Shrimp, Grapefruit, Avocado and Bacon:
Half of a head of Escarole, cleaned and stems removed
1 small Pink Grapefruit, peeled and segmented
Half of an Avocado, sliced
1 Green Onion, chopped
4 pieces of Bacon, cooked in the oven until crisp (please click here for the recipe)
20 Shrimp, tail off and deveined (normally it is 91-110 per pound size, but a larger shrimp can also be used, if you prefer)
1 tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ teaspoon of Lemon Pepper
For the Bacon Dressing:
3-4 tablespoons of the Drippings from the Cooked Bacon, warm
4 cloves of Garlic, peeled and minced
3 tablespoons of Honey
1/4-cup of Dijon Mustard (Country-style Dijon is best)
1/3-cup of Apple Cider Vinegar
Salt and Ground Pepper to taste (about a teaspoon of each)
Directions
To Prepare the Salad of Wilted Escarole, Grilled Shrimp, Pink Grapefruit, Avocado and Bacon:
Heat the grill to medium. Cook the bacon by following the recipe for Bacon cooked in the Oven – click here to access the recipe. Set the bacon aside and let it cool to room temperature. Lightly brush half of the extra virgin olive oil on the shrimp and then sprinkle them with half of the lemon pepper. Place the shrimp on the grill with the oiled/seasoned side down. Grill them for about 2 minutes, and then brush the top of the shrimp with the other half of the extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle them with the remaining lemon pepper. Turn the shrimp over on the grill and cook for another 2 minutes until done. (The length of time will depend on the size of the shrimp and the heat of the grill.) Set the shrimp aside to bring them to room temperature. Turn the grill off. Let the grill cool for a few minutes, and then place the escarole on the grill for only a few seconds on each side. The escarole should be wilted, but do not scorch it. Let the wilted escarole come to room temperature as well. Place the escarole in a bowl and then add the shrimp on top of the escarole. Add the grapefruit and the avocado around the edge of the bowl (as shown in the photo). Crumble the bacon and sprinkle it on top of the salad along with the chopped green onion. Serve with the bacon dressing.
To Prepare the Bacon Dressing:
Using the bacon drippings left over from cooking the bacon, put 3 tablespoons of the drippings into a small saucepan. Add the garlic and cook it until it is soft. Add the other dressing ingredients and bring them to a boil. Cook it for about 1 to 3 minutes. The dressing should be somewhat thick and should coat the back of a spoon.
Reserve any remaining dressing in a container in the refrigerator and use within a week. This dressing is best served on this salad at room temperature.
