Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Shrimp and Scallop Salad with Mango Salsa


I find that when people visit from other areas of the country and are invited to dinner, they expect certain foods to be served. For instance, if I visit my sister in Texas, I hope she’ll prepare some of my Tex-Mex favorites, since good Mexican food is hard to find where we live in the mountains. If we’re going to Maine, I want lobster and lots of it. If we drive over to eastern North Carolina to see friends, I always have my fingers crossed they’ll roast a pig they are so famous for that’s basted with vinegary eastern Carolina BBQ sauce. Last year when we visited our old home in Abaco, I couldn’t get my fill of spicy Bahamian fresh conch salad with fiery bird or goat peppers and seasoned ever so lightly with native sour oranges.

If you live in Florida as we do in the winter, guests expect seafood. I like to have a recipe up my sleeve that’s easy, so when people call and say, “We’re just driving by. Can we stop and say hello?” I can eagerly answer, “Yes and please stay for dinner” and mean it. If you live in a tourist area, it’s smart to be prepared, because people are bound to drop by unexpectedly sooner or later.

By easy, I mean two different kinds of easy. The first easy means easy to put together. I want to spend time with my guests, not be stuck in the kitchen. The second easy is versatility. I want a recipe where I can easily substitute ingredients and know that the recipe will still work.

This seafood salad fills both bills. It can be put together in under thirty minutes, perhaps even fifteen if you multitask. If the scallops don’t look good at the market, use all shrimp. If you don’t want to use shellfish, fish or even grilled chicken would work well. We’ve used broiled salmon or mahi mahi (also known as dolphin fish) many times with great success. Perhaps you remember this salmon with fruit salsa.


No mangos? Use peaches, nectarines, cantaloupe or honeydew. Want it spicier? Leave some of the seeds in the chopped jalapeno. If you have a guest who doesn’t like cilantro (and there are definitely some of those), leave it out or use some flat leaf parsley. Just don’t leave out the tomato, onion, or basil. They are the foundation of the salad. After that, almost anything goes.

Do you have foods that people expect to be served when they visit you?


Seared Shrimp and Scallop Salad with Mango Salsa
Adapted from Le Cordon Bleu Complete Cook Home Collection

10 large scallops, preferably dry pack
10 large shrimp, wild caught, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Baby lettuce mix, for serving
Mango salsa, recipe below

Dry the scallops and shrimp well. Heat the olive oil in a large, non-stick skillet, add the butter and, when it has melted and starts to foam, put the shrimp and scallops in the frying pan. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook for 3 – 4 minutes, or until lightly golden on both sides and just tender to the touch, taking care not to overcook. Arrange a bed of baby lettuce mix on four plates and spoon over the salsa. Top with warm scallops and shrimp, and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Mango Salsa
Adapted from Little Moir’s Food Shack, Jupiter, Florida 

2 mangos, peeled and diced
1 ripe tomato, diced
½ of a red onion, minced
Juice of ½ to 1 lime
1 tablespoon jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons rice vinegar (unseasoned)
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh basil, cut into a chiffonade
1 tablespoon honey
1 - 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Place all ingredients in a bowl and gently toss. Serve immediately, or can be left at room temperature for up to an hour. Taste before serving and add more salt, pepper, rice vinegar, honey, or hot pepper to taste if necessary.

65 comments:

  1. Beautiful salad. I wish I could tell you that I was stopping by for dinner!! I've never really thought of a specific type of food for a region. I will rethink my planning. Thanks for the idea. It seems so obvious now. sigh

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  2. I'd certainly like to stop by your place for this dish! My food scientist son recently explained to me about dry pack scallops. How did I miss that fact when I was teaching seafood classes? Embarrassing!

    Here in the midwest, visitors expect beef and corn dishes. So far, no one has requested a soybean dish.

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  3. I cannot wait till we "happen" to be driving by - if this is what you make on the spur of the moment I cant imagine what you will "throw together" with advance notice...this looks great.

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  4. That looks so good and fresh! An exotic dish that is extremely mouthwatering.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  5. Sam, you just tempted me to make this! Looks so mouthwatering. Yummm.... Btw, are you for real? I mean invite whoever hop by to say hello! So nice of you. I'll definitely drop by for a visit when I'm in Florida. :o) Hope you're having a great day.
    Blessings, Kristy

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  6. Sam, this is a great suggestion for when friends drop by here in Florida. Great recipe. I have been experimenting with lots of salsas lately and love the flavor combo here.

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  7. Looks like the Salad Queen has been at it again and it looks delicious - we like all of these ingredients.

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  8. Love thius Sam I really love seafood, look yummy! gloria

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  9. When guests come to British Columbia they expect salmon to be served and in Alberta they want steak, in Ontario pork and in Quebec lamb...at least that is what I would expect...wink. Love your rendition here Sam!!!

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  10. I was drooling when I saw the title! Some of my favorite foods!

    We are becoming known for our smoked (home-raised) chicken. Or, if it's winter, the same home-raised chicken fried in an iron skillet on the woodstove -- with, of course, mashed potatoes (homegrown) and gravy. Not elegant but elemental.

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  11. That looks so fresh and delicious.

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  12. This sounds delicious and looks amazing! I make a similar version but just with scallops. I love the addition of shrimp!

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  13. oooh, these look so good.. and your food photography is fantastic!

    I sure hope to have a home someday somewhere tropical where tourist friends stop by and visit :-)

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  14. This looks delcious....I have been in the "market" for new and lighter recipes for spring..I am going to try this.

    The photos are beautiful...

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  15. I have really been loving all the salads you've been posting, Sam. You just can't beat shrimp and scallops. This is a beaut. And that salsa is marvelous.

    I'll be dropping in soon..... :)

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  16. Just reading this my mouth is watering. Diane

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  17. Great combination. I have everything in my kitchen to make it this week. I always get good ideas in your blog.

    Have a great day!

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  18. Both the salmon and the salad look amazing! Wish I were in the area and could stop by! We love mango salsa...and I just picked up two from the corner vendor!

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  19. Yum, yum, yum....This looks so good...! You use all my favorite ingredients :D)!!

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  20. Just what the doctor would order on such a dreary day here in the Northwest.

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  21. This looks delicious. We have spinoffs of this type of salad at our home often.

    Mango is my favorite fruit, and have been known to put mango salsa on all kinds of foods.

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  22. Uhm, uhm, uhm... love that combination of heat and sweet and especially with the scallops. We have no mango yet, but definitely can do this in the summer. Thanks, Sam.

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  23. this looks so good! thank you for sharing this. i really wish i was having this for dinner tonight!

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  24. Pffftth. Forget special guest dinner...I need to make this for me! That mango salsa looks glorious.

    Thanks for sharing!

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  25. It is indeed glorious that you can substitute. It's also a family dinner - healthy, pretty and simple. I love when I have guests over and it is simple and someone will say to husband-person, "You usually don't eat like this, do you?" And it's a dish I make twice a month! Now, if I can figure out how to make this vegetarian for one crowd... As you can imagine when people visit here, they think "pasta." Which has nothing to do with MNinnesota. But when I visit FL - yes, it's seafood.

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  26. Wow, what a tasty, colorful and beautiful salad...love it with the shrimps and scallops...what a great meal. Love it!

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  27. Mango is one of my very favourite fruits - it looks superbe! in your lovely salade. xx

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  28. Mango salsa pairs so nicely with seafood, love it!

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  29. When you come to Colorado I promise to prepare a great steak.

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  30. Mango salsa is so good with grilled fish or with chicken. I think homemade, like so many things, is so much fresher and flavorful than even the good store bought kind. I guess I am known for the things I bake but also for good dinners, I've been known to turn out a few of those;-)

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  31. Sam - Now that I know are serving shrimp to your guests then I might have to stop by for a visit! I have been craving shrimp lately and just can't get enough of it. I love how customizable this salad is, but especially love the idea of shrimp and mango together. Looks gorgeous!

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  32. I love shrimp but rarely use it in recipes at home. It's a treat I enjoy when I go out for a meal. I'm not sure why this is the case. What a wonderful light and flavorful dish! Here in Oregon we have so many wonderful choices. Fresh Seafood, Free Range Meats, Organic veggies and fruits. All of the rain and muck tends to drive me out of my mind but I have to admit, we sure do have a bounty of fresh and delicious good eats in this state.

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  33. I would happily stop and stay for dinner to try this. The salsa has such a fresh kick to it and perfect for the coming Spring and Summer.

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  34. You are so gracious..kind of like Peter Mayle in Provence with your guests:)

    Both dishes are perfect Fl food.
    I love Fl.. and think about it often.
    I love to look out at the sea,,and take photos of the shorebirds and sunsets..my quiet strip of beach with nice people.
    Love it..

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  35. This sounds heavenly! We get that same thing here - when people come to visit, they want real Mexican food, so that's what we make.

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  36. I am with you on all of this! And when I'm back visiting and vacationing in Florida, all I want is seafood. And what a great dish pairing shrimp with fruit! Love it! Now I definitely want to get back there this summer!

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  37. I'm saving this for summer al fresco dinners on the patio - it sounds delicious and perfect warm-weather fare!

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  38. As a Florida native, I so understand the meaning of serving a fresh seafood dish that includes a good mango relish. My parents home was located in an old mango and avocado grove that each season would produce what felt like a million mangoes and avocados, wow. Your dish represents the flavors of South Florida. Cheers.

    Velva

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  39. I love this refreshing mango salad with the seafood. Love it!

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  40. I would love to stop by for this dinner! I really like how you offer a number of variations on the salad, as it helps greatly when shopping in one's local grocery store. In South Africa, my idea of a quick and simple meal is a good old South African braai (barbeque) - build a fire, let it turn into hot coals and cook some delicious boerewors (South African sausage spiced with cumin and coriander), lamb chops, braai broodtjies (toasted sandwiches with cheese, tomato and onion cooked on the grid) and grilled fruit skewers.

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  41. Such a beautiful, happy, sunny post, Sam! Still dreaming of being ocean-front... And yeah, there's a few, but my brothers and sisters always expect flautas de pollo. ALWAYS! It's been a family fave for years and years :D

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  42. I'm always looking for something tasty in a salad. We live in Florida, so the citrus is right up my alley! Of course, when people come over they expect and always receive Italian.

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  43. this looks first class :-) and I bet loads of folks pop over to visit he he

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  44. Man you are just throwing the seafood at me lately and I am loving it...I bought shrimp to make a green curry this weekend, so a tail for a tail!

    Happy St Paddy's Day to ya girl!

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  45. Sam!

    Oh, how I have missed you, my friend. I keep hoping that my blogger hiatus will be over soon, and I'm starting to see light at the end of tunnel. Sort of. LOL! I've got painters at the other house now and gutter cleaners slated for next week. The the painters return. It's nuts! Then I'm redoing a bedroom and finding things for it... hunting and gathering like a squirrel. My car looks like its aping the Beverly Hillbillies' truck.

    Now, this looks asolutely wonderful, but I don't think I've ever seen you cook anything that didn't look divine!

    I hope that you and your sweetie have a very Happy St. Patrick's Day. Things are gearing up here in St. Augustine. I looked out the kitchen window earlier, and Flynn (my neighbor and the pharmacist at the hospital) was dressed like a leprechaun. LOL! I took his picture and put it as the header on my blog. I'm trying to race against time as I'm on my limited server that is EXPENSIVE. But the other one is just soooooo slow. Sometimes a girl's gotta do what she's gotta do. ;-)

    XO,

    Sheila :-)

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  46. I have to remember not to come to your post before lunch – I usually eat lunch around 2 pm and now after looking at your yummy pictures I am starving. Thanks for the pineapple recipes you sent me – I tried one and it turned out real well.

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  47. You will encourage more of us to drop in! This salad looks incredible, and the sea food is so perfectly seared. Be prepared - I'm coming!

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  48. Goodness, Sam! That sounds absolutely incredible. Something about the pairing of seafood and citrus works so wonderfully well. Scallops are my absolute favorite seafood, too! My mouth is watering just looking at this...

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  49. What a wonderful pairing of ingredients, Sam. The salad is absolutely beautiful. You'll have to be careful or you'll find drop-in traffic will increase. I hope the re-model is going well. Have a wonderful day. Blessings...Mary

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  50. This looks so delightful, Sam! I often serve mango salsa with grilled salmon but this combination of seared shrimp and scallops looks even more delicious!

    We are still waiting for my new grandson to chose his birthday ..hopefully soon! :)

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  51. I like how adaptable this recipe is to various ingredients, although I think that mangoes would be my favorite way to have this salsa with the sweet, tangy, and bright pungent flavors.

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  52. Gorgeous Sam!~
    I am bookmarking this for the warmer months ahead.

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  53. I was born in Quebec and we are famous for Tourtières, Poutine, Pâté Chinois, Meatballs in a pork hocks sauce (different that any recipes), desserts with Maple Syrup. People eat a lot of pork in Quebec. But when I have guests I don't serve any of these dishes. I just prepare what I feel to eat that day. I am looking at your salmon dish and I love having salmon with a side of mango salsa. Have a great weekend!

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  54. Sam, great looking salad...I like the honey and basil chiffonade..

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  55. a great salad, I would love the mango versions..great idea for company, thnkns for sharing

    sweetlife

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  56. I think that you must be one of the most gracious hosts to those that visit you, whether in NC or FL or on an island! I so love all of these new innovative and flavor-packed fruit salsas with fish and seafood....just love 'em. Thanks for sharing, cuz I'm going to keep this recipe!

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  57. This is on my dinner table. It couldn't prettier. Thanks, Sam.

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  58. Okay, this is just funny. I read the title but conveniently overlooked the "scallop". I saw the picture and thought, "Damn, that shrimp in the center is the tightest tucked shrimp I have ever seen!"

    It looks excellent as always, Sam!

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  59. These are all ingredients that talk to me; love teh combinattion and the easy preparation. Like you I sering meals that can be prepared ahead so I can sit with my guest.
    Happy weeekend,
    Rita

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  60. Twofer! I know I've already commented but I just wanted to let you know I've given you an award over at Deep Dish today. Thanks for being an awesome blog.

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  61. Wish I could phone you and tell you I was in the area! As we're in Maine this weekend I'll bet you'd like to do the same! LOL!! That salad looks amazing!

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  62. This sounds so good. I am a huge fan of scallops, so I'm always up for any dish that uses them.

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  63. Wow, this looks divine! When my kids come to my house they want salads from my garden. Grandson, however, wants to make cupcakes with my Kitchenaid. :)

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  64. This looks wonderful, Sam! Beautiful presentation. Everything sounds scrumptious!

    Blessings, Catherine

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  65. Mango salsa is a perfect pairing to salmon. This is one gorgeous dish!

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