Wafu Salad with Shrimp Nigiri
Published: June 28, 2020, by Ivan
Wafu Salad with Shrimp Nigiri is always a winner on a hot day. The fresh cold salad with miso always reminds me of eating at a sushi bar. The shrimp has that great crispness and naturally sweet taste, enhanced by the shrimp shell broth.
So stop staring at the pictures, and let’s make this beautiful Japanese salad.
WAFU SALAD INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp Carrot
1/4 tsp Miso Paste or Peanut Butter
1 Tbsp Planters peanuts
1 Tbsp Sour Cream
1 Tbsp Mayonnaise
1/4 tsp Sesame Oil
1 Tbsp White Vinegar
Sugar
Iceberg Lettuce
Raw Frozen Shell-on Shrimp
CONDIMENTS
1 tsp Horseradish
1 tsp Soy Sauce
1 Lemon slice
1 tsp Pickled Ginger
POPULAR JAPANESE BEERS
Asahi
Kirin
Suntory
Sapporo
Suntory
Yebisu
How to make Wafu Salad with Shrimp Nigiri
1. Grate 2 Tbsp carrots into a bowl. Spread 1/4 tsp miso paste onto the inside of the bowl with grated carrots. This really helps in mixing the miso with the other ingredients. Our miso is quite thick because it is 4 years old. Miso paste is one of those preserved, fermented foods due to its salt content. But if your old miso has a bad smell or has mold then throw it away. When I buy miso, I sterilize a jar and transfer the miso to the jar. I removing as much air as possible from the jar. I seal, date, and refrigerate the jar.
2. Meanwhile … back at the ranch. Add to the carrots, and miso bowl, 1 Tbsp sour cream, 1 Tbsp mayonnaise, 1/4 tsp sesame oil, 2 Tbsp granulated sugar, 1 Tbsp crushed Planters peanuts, and 1 Tbsp white vinegar. Vinegar is a nice ingredient but sometimes you need 1-2 times more sweetness to counter vinegar’s tang in a dressing, marinade, or brine. Mix the ingredients and taste it. Make small changes to the dressing by adding more sours cream, mayo, sugar so the dressing taste the way you want it. Wrap the bowl with clear wrap and refrigerate the dressing.
3. To a small pot add 2 cups water and 2 Tbsp granulated sugar. Heat the pot to just above simmer. I set our electric stove to 1/3 power. Prepare 2 cups of water in a bottle that can be placed in the freezer. We want the water ice-cold for the shrimp. Have ice cubes ready to help cool the shrimp.
4. Remove the shell from the raw shrimp and set the shells to the side. We will use the shrimp shell to add flavor to the sugar water we are heating. Make small cuts on the bottom and the top of the shrimp. The small cuts on the top and bottom should not be in line or you will break the shrimp in half. Stagger the cuts on the top away from the cuts on the bottom. Use very light force to press the shrimp between your fingers and the plate to crack the shrimp into a straight line. It is common for the shrimp to elongate to twice its original length. This technique will reduce the curling and shrinking of the shrimp as it cooks. Transfer the shrimp, shells, and shrimp juices to a bowl.
5. At the stove. Add the shrimp shells and shrimp juices to the simmering sugar water. Lid the pot to create a shrimp broth. Cover the shrimp with clear wrap and place it into the freezer so it stays nice and cold. Allow the broth to simmer for 3 minutes, then use a slotted spoon to squeeze the shells against the side of the pot to squeeze out all their flavors. Discard the shells.The best flavors in protein are always next to the bone. With seafood, the big bone is either the head or the shell. When possible I use head-on shrimp for all my shrimp recipes. With shellfish, I cook with the shell. Just remove the bones or shells before serving, if it doesn’t add to the presentation of your dish.
6. Turn the heat up on your broth so it is at a boil. I am turning our electric stove to half power. The shrimp is cold so the broth has to be hot. The following cooking process will be fast so have a clean bowl nearby filled with the ice-cold water you prepared in advance. You may want to add some ice cubes to the water. Place the shrimp into the boiling water for 1-3 minutes or until the shrimp turns pinkish-white. The shrimp may shrink by 15 percent. If you see some drastic shrinking ( 3/4 or 1/2 original size,) then you have over-cooked the shrimp. The shrimp will continue to cook, and shrink, after it is removed from the hot broth. Drop the cooked shrimp directly into the ice water bath to stop further cooking.
7. In the Youtube video, I use a double boiler chiller like when I make hollandaise sauce, but this technique is too slow to stop the cooking. After 2-3 minutes, remove the shrimp from the ice bath and allow them to drain the excess water before serving.
8. Plating: In a bowl, add the Wafu salad dressing on top of cold crisp lettuce. In another small bowl, add the shrimp. Use a very small sauce bowls for your garnishes like soy sauce, horseradish, slice of lemon, and sweet pickled ginger. Serve your dish with a very cold glass of Japanese beer.
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoy your own Wafu Salad with Shrimp Nigiri. Remember to share your recipes.
Until next time. Adios…Beef
Click Below to Watch the Full Video Tutorial on Youtube
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