Reheating Crunchy Cajun Salad!
Call me crazy- but to me, good food is all about texture. Think about the best thing you’ve ever eaten in your life. Seriously. Now, imagine that thing was actually soup- like, it tasted the same, but it had the consistency of soup. If you said some sort of soup was the best thing you’ve ever eaten in your life, pick a different thing, because my point will be irrelevant. So now that you’re thinking about the best thing you’ve ever eaten (not soup), and imagining it as soup instead of whatever it was originally, what do you think? Not as good, right? Texture is key. Growing up, I was very texturally averse. I had a hard time eating a lot of foods, especially ones without good structure (in flavor and actual texture). I think I was scarred by those experiences sitting at the dinner table for hours and hours until I ate my serving of mushy steamed brussels sprouts or whatever it was. Because of this, I understand the importance of texture, and how it plays directly into flavor. Tonight’s salad is all about those kickass textures, coming not only in the form of crunch, but also tender and flavorful roasted peppers and corn. Balance is key. We’ve wrapped it all up in a parcel of crunchy roasty goodness, and given you some crispy bits and mojo vinaigrette to tie it all together. To prepare the salad, simply toss everything in a bowl, dress with salt, pepper, and the mojo vinaigrette, and plate it up. Lastly, sprinkle the fried garlic, fried shallots, and sunflower seeds all over the top, and dig right in. Texture! Flavor! It’s all there, in the best way possible. Enjoy!
If you got cajun shrimp + sausage:
You’re taking a look into my first ever experience as a cook with this one. I was 18, washing dishes at a restaurant in Lexington that has since closed (guess), and somehow, the salad person had called out. But wait, here’s a good idea, let’s put the stoned dishwasher kid who literally doesn’t care about anything on salad station! He’ll be great. It actually worked out pretty well, cause I was always hungry- and pretended that all the salads I was making were for me. Eventually, I moved on, and figured out how to actually cook stuff. The first thing I made was jambalaya. Cajun spiced shrimp and sausage. It’s a great combo. I eventually figured out that it went really nice on a big crunchy salad, and since then, I’ve been doing this pretty regularly. So, heat up those shrimp and sausage medallions in the broiler, and pop them on the salad. On a sheet tray lined with aluminum, broil until hot. Pop on that salad, and you’re in business. Enjoy!
