Grilled Shrimp Corn Salad with Avocado Vinaigrette

This beautiful grilled shrimp corn salad with avocado vinaigrette can be enjoyed as a main course for two or three or as an appetizer for more. 

This week my Sunday Supper group is sharing grilling recipes. Since weather is unpredictable, the powers that be are being flexible and allowing us to use grill pans too. Or share recipes associated with grilling like sauces, rubs and spices. You will find lots of inspiration and deliciousness in the link list below. Many thanks to our host this week, Sue from Palatable Pastime.

Use your grill pan or actual grill to roast the corn on the cob and cook the seasoned shrimp before adding them to a fresh salad of tomatoes, cucumbers and feta. The vinaigrette with avocado adds a subtle creaminess that is bright with flavor. Serve the whole shebang on top of some leafy greens.

Ingredients
For the salad:
2 ears corn
1 lb 13 3/4 oz or 860g cleaned, peeled shrimp (I leave the little tail on though because I like the way they look.)
Sea salt
Black pepper
Cayenne
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium cucumbers
4.4 oz or 125g grape tomatoes
1 shallot or purple onion
6 1/3 oz or 180g goat’s milk feta, crumbled
Good handful flat leaf parsley

For the avocado vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
Few grinds black pepper
Healthy pinch flakey sea salt
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 medium avocados

To serve: Clean mixed greens or arugula

Method
Season your shrimp with a good sprinkle of fine sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and cayenne. Add in the two tablespoons of olive oil, mix well and set aside.

Heat your grill pan till it’s smoking hot and cook the corn on the cob, turning several times until it’s got charred marks all over. Remove from the pan and allow to cool.

Add shrimp to the hot grill pan and cook for just a few minutes on each side until they are cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Halve then quarter your cucumbers lengthwise. Use a sharp knife to remove the seeds from the middle. Then cut them into bite-sized pieces.

My helper is a huge fan of cucumber innards so he’s always poised waiting for this part of the job.

When the corn is cool enough to handle, use a sharp knife to slice the kernels off.

Half your grape tomatoes, chop your purple onion and parsley. Pile them all in a big bowl with the cucumber, corn and crumbled feta. Toss to combine.

Add in the shrimp and toss again.

Add all of the dressing ingredients, except the avocado, to another glass bowl and whisk to combine.

When you are almost ready to serve the salad, scoop the avocado into the dressing bowl and stir well to coat the avocado pieces.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to mix it in.

Serve as is or on top of some fresh mixed greens.

Enjoy!

Check out this great link list for grilling inspiration:

Patio Libations

• Grilled Peach and Pineapple Sangria by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks

Let’s Get This BBQ Started!

• Bruschetta with Grilled Bread by Wholistic Woman
• Cilantro Lime Grilled Shrimp with Pineapple Salsa by Taste And See
• Grilled Avocado with Cilantro-Lime Cream by Grumpy’s Honeybunch

The Main Event

• Bison Sliders with Special Sauce by Un Assaggio of Food, Wine & Marriage
• Bourbon & Brown Sugar Marinated Grilled Steak by Books n’ Cooks
• Buffalo Wing Burger by Red Cottage Chronicles
• Chicken Mazatlan by Palatable Pastime
• Greek Lamb Burgers by Positively Stacey
• Grilled Avocado with Confetti Shrimp Salad by The Weekend Gourmet
• Grilled Shrimp Corn Salad with Avocado Vinaigrette by Food Lust People Love
• Grilled Duck with a Red Wine Reduction by Monica’s Table
• Grilled London Broil Steak Tacos by The Freshman Cook
• Grilled Pork and Pineapple Salad by Caroline’s Cooking
• Grilled Ribeye with Simple Spice Rub by Cooking Chat
• Grilled Salami Sandwich by Magnolia Days
• Grilled Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce by Angels Home Sweet Homestead
• Hawaiian Chicken Kebabs by Moore or Less Cooking
• Grilled Honey Balsamic Chicken by Alida’s Kitchen
• Grilled Tuna Steaks with Orange Tomato Sauce by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Grilled Tuna Steaks with Strawberry Mango Salsa by simple and savory
• Honey Mustard Grilled Pork Chops by My World Simplified
• How to Grill Salmon and Shrimps in Banana Leaves by Asian In America
• Lemon Herbed Yogurt Chicken Kabobs by Momma’s Meals
• The Best Baby Back Ribs Ever!! by A Day in the Life on the Farm

On a Side Note

• Easy Garlicky Grilled Polenta by She Loves Biscotti
• Easy Grilled Artichokes by April Golightly
• Grilled Asparagus with Lemon and Manchego Cheese by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Grilled Cantaloupe Salad with Queso Fresco and Herbs by Cooking With Carlee
• Grilled Corn with Herb Butter by My Imperfect Kitchen
• Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad by Cookin’ Mimi

Saucy Sentiments and Rebellious Rubs

• Homemade Burger Sauce by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• Homemade Coffee Steak Rub by Renee’s Kitchen Adventures

Finishing Touches

• Grilled Banana Boats by Our Good Life
• Grilled Blueberry Cobbler by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Grilled Dessert Pizza by Baking Sense
• Grilled Pineapple with Vanilla Sorbet by The Chef Next Door
• Grilled Strawberry & Blue Basil Granita by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Super Simple Grilled Peaches by And She Cooks

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Piri Piri Grilled Whole Baby Grouper

This piri-piri whole baby grouper is marinated first in homemade piri-piri sauce and then grilled to succulent perfection over hot coals.

As I mentioned in my last post, Piri Piri Grilled Chicken,  the sauce is great on fish or pork or prawns or pretty much whatever you want to grill.*  The original grill guy was also grilling fresh sardines but any fish will do!  I won’t repeat the making of the sauce again but here’s how to prepare the fish.

Ingredients

2/3 cup or 160ml piri piri sauce – made from this recipe – 1/3 cup or 80 ml for marinating, 1/3 cup or 80ml for basting while grilling.

2 small Grouper about 1 lb each or one larger fish of 2 1/4 lbs.

Sprinkle of flakey sea salt for serving

Fish holder/grill basket

Method

Get your fish guy to gut, clean and scale the fish but leave it whole.  Once you get it home, make sure it is really clear of scales by giving it a quick scrape all over with a sharp knife - from tail to head.  Rinse it well.  Refrigerate.

About half an hour to an hour before you are going to grill, cut three or four nice scores in each side of the fish.

Pop them in a bag and pour over 1/3 cup or 80ml of piri piri sauce.  Massage the bag a little to make sure the sauce is all over both sides of the fish.  Put the bag on a plate and put it back in the refrigerator.

When you are ready to grill, light your charcoal fire and transfer your fish to the fish holder.  This handy item will make turning the fish a breeze.  We actually own four of these.  Two larger fish-shaped ones and two like the one you see pictured here, which work great for small fish or even burgers.

Our fish were about 1 in or 2.5cm thick so they didn’t need to cook long - about 5-6 minutes each side.  If you have one 2 1/4 lb fish, it will need to cook it a little longer, depending on the thickness.  Grill, turning occasionally and basting whenever you turn, until it is done.  We used another 1/3 cup or 80ml for basting.

You can check for doneness by sticking a knife in at the thickest part and making sure that the fish is white all the way to the bone.  Any grey left and you need to cook it a bit more.  Gently ease the fish out of the fish holder, using a sharp knife. 

Give it a light sprinkling of flakey sea salt.  Serve with some extra lemon or lime for squeezing onto the fish. 

The full meal:  grilled grouper, baby zucchini sauteed with garlic
and arugula/rocket salad with roma tomatoes and blue cheese.

Enjoy!

For those of you who are printing out the instructions, make sure to print this link as well - for the sauce. 

*And for those of you keeping track, there was about a 1/2 cup or 120ml of piri piri sauce left after the fish.  It is currently marinating a small pork roast that will be put on the oven rotisserie tonight.  Can't wait!