Ingredients
Scale
- 16 extra large peeled and deveined shrimp
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 lemongrass stalk (or 2 tablespoons chopped lemongrass)
- 2 tablespoons peeled and minced ginger
- 1 large shallot
- 5 kaffir lime leaves
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, about ½ a large lime
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice, about ¼ large orange
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 4 sprigs fresh mint
- 4 sprigs fresh cilantro
- 2–3 fresh hot chilies seeded and finely chopped
- 1 scallion finely sliced on and angle
- 1 handful of cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 head of soft lettuce like bibb or boston
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- If using whole lemongrass, remove the tough outer leaves of lemongrass and trim off the top ⅔ and the end of the bulb. You will only be using the bottom portion. Slice the lemongrass as thinly as possible. Then chop it up finely.
- Peel and trim the shallot, cut in half, and then finely slice across the bulb.
- Turn the kaffir lime leaves over, pull the hard center string off (like a string bean) and then stack the leaves, roll them tightly like a cigarette and shred them with a knife as finely as possible. Then run your knife through the stack a couple of times to chop up the leaves.
- Add the lemongrass, kaffir lime, ginger, fish sauce, sugar, ⅛ teaspoon of salt, and the citrus juices to a large bowl. Mix until sugar is dissolved and set aside.
- Roughly chop the cilantro and the mint and set aside.
- Move the oven rack to the top shelf. Toss the shrimp with the oil and sprinkle lightly with ground black pepper. Lay the shrimp in one layer on a piece of foil or parchment paper and broil on high for 4-5 minutes. (Check to see that the underside of the shrimp has been cooked. In general, I find that you do not need to flip over the shrimp while cooking.)
- Put the shrimp aside until cool enough to handle and then remove the tails. Pour the shrimp and any accumulated juices into a bowl with the dressing. Add the tomatoes and the herbs. Mix gently to combine. Take a small taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
- Serve the shrimp warm served over a couple leaves of lettuce. Garnish with some sliced scallion.