This shrimp Dijon recipe makes for a great appetizer, for any size get together, from just a few friends or family members to a full blown sit down dinner party for 20. Not that I host many of the sit down dinner parties, that would be a lot of work! I first found this recipe in Above And Beyond Parsley, and have made only one or two changes since then.
There are a few reasons that I am especially fond of this shrimp appetizer, but my favorite is how easy it is to make. From beginning to end, you can get this ready in just 20 minutes or so, if you have a Cuisinart, or something along those lines. But my guess is, even without a food processor, you could probably get this together in 30 minutes or so, it would just take some serious whisking and chopping.
Another reason I love this this recipe is, especially when having people over, is that I can prepare this well ahead of time. It gets better the longer (within reason) the shrimp sites in the Dijon vinaigrette. That means that you can make this up the day before and let it marinate in the fridge overnight, or earlier the same day you plan on serving it.
Plus, people just like it. It’s quick, easy and tasty, what else are you looking for? I’ve even caught a few guests sneaking off with the entire shrimp Dijon dish. Literally. Sneaking down the basement stairs with the entire platter. I’m not sure what else needs to be said.
Once I began to rethink all of my recipes, in response to learning how damaging much of our modern processed diet can be, I have tried to go through my old recipes and bring them more into line with my newer “whole foods” philosophy. Happily, some of my old recipes need very little manipulation, or in some cases, none at all!
Almost every item in this recipe is good from the get go, at least in my book, either being a real food existing naturally, or having been around for hundreds or thousands of years, and not some concocted oil or fake food produced in the last 20 years. That means that the hardest part of cleaning up this recipe is in the shrimp, making sure they are responsibly harvested.
The more I learn about the negative impact of intensive shrimp farming, the more displeased I am that I ever ate such a product, and the more determined I am to try and eat only wild caught shrimp. Not only are wild shrimp more nutritious, but they are much more likely to be free of pesticides, antibiotics and other chemicals that you would never normally associate with food!
Having said all of that, there are now some companies attempting to farm in a more responsible manner, so with a little homework, such as checking in with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch, you can make intelligent choices about which product you want to spend your money and energy on.
Shrimp Dijon
Ingredients
- 2 lbs shrimp cooked and peeled
- 1 bunch parsley
- 2 shallots
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 cup olive oil
- 3/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 8-10 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 4 teaspoons red pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Place cooked and peeled (thawed if bought frozen) shrimp in serving dish
- Place remaining ingredients in food processor and pulse until well combined
- Pour Dijon vinaigrette over shrimp
- Cover and place in refrigerator at least 4 hours if possible, or overnight, before serving chilled
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