Zydeco Recipe

In a large salad bowl combine 4 cups mixed greens, 1 cup shredded cabbage, 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion, 1/2 cup each thinly sliced red and yellow bell peppers, and 1/2 jalapeño thinly sliced (remove seeds if desired). Toss gently to combine.

Add 1/2 cup shredded jack cheese and 1/2 cup chopped candied pecans to the greens; toss lightly to distribute. Keep tortilla strips separate to add just before serving so they remain crisp.

Prep shrimp

Pat 12 large peeled and deveined shrimp dry with paper towels. If tails are on and desired, leave them; otherwise remove tails.

Set up dredging station

In a shallow bowl whisk together 1/2 cup buttermilk with a pinch of salt. In a separate shallow dish combine 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup cornstarch, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper.

Coat shrimp

One by one, dip shrimp into the buttermilk, letting excess drip off, then dredge thoroughly in the flour-cornstarch mixture, pressing gently to adhere. Place coated shrimp on a wire rack while heating oil.

Fry shrimp

Pour about 1 cup vegetable oil into a skillet or sauté pan to reach roughly 1/2-inch depth and heat over medium-high until oil reaches 350°F (or a small piece of bread sizzles and browns in ~30 sec). Fry shrimp in batches (do not crowd) for 1.5–2 minutes per side, or until golden and cooked through. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Glaze shrimp

While shrimp are hot, toss them in the sweet chili glaze: combine 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce with 1 tbsp honey and 1 tbsp fresh lime juice in a small saucepan and warm briefly over low heat until honey blends and glaze is slightly warmed (do not boil). Place fried shrimp in a bowl, pour glaze over, and toss gently to coat evenly.

Make the pepper jelly vinaigrette

Whisk together 2 tbsp red pepper jelly and 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar until the jelly dissolves. Whisk in 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper until emulsified. Taste and adjust acidity or sweetness as desired (add a little more vinegar to brighten or a pinch of sugar if too tart).

Finish and assemble

Taste the glazed shrimp and, if desired, spoon a small amount of the pepper jelly vinaigrette over them to amplify the pepper-jelly flavor (optional). Divide the dressed salad among 2 plates (about 2 cups greens per serving). Top each plated salad with half of the glazed fried shrimp (6 shrimp per plate). Sprinkle tortilla strips over each salad (about 1/2 cup per plate) so they remain crisp. Drizzle each salad with the pepper jelly vinaigrette (about 1.5 tbsp per serving) or serve vinaigrette on the side. Garnish with any extra candied pecans or jalapeño slices as desired.