Kale Caesar with Grilled Shrimp Skewers
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
The kale version of a Caesar salad will impress your guests with a fresh take on a classic.
Recipe by:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
Grilled Shrimp Skewers
  • 1 large red onion, peeled and sliced into chunks
  • 16 extra jumbo Louisiana shrimp, peeled with tails on
  • 8 chunks of fresh pineapple
  • 1 large red bell pepper, seeds removed and sliced into chunks
  • 1 cup red cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup yellow cherry tomatoes
  • 4 small whole sweet peppers
  • 1 lemon quartered
  • 1 tablespoon Acadiana Table Cajun Seasoning Blend, see recipe here
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Caesar Salad and Dressing
  • 6 cups fresh kale, chopped
  • 4 large eggs
  • Water, for boiling
  • 1 tin of canned flat anchovies
  • 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons Creole mustard
  • 2 teaspoons Tabasco hot sauce
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 large fresh lemon, halved
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, divided
  • 1½ cups extra virgin olive oil, plus more
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cups freshly made croutons
Instructions
Grilled Shrimp Skewers
  1. On a skewer (if wooden, pre-soak) add a chunk of red onion and a piece of pineapple. Then add a shrimp and alternate with the rest of the fruit and vegetables until you have 4 shrimp on the skewer. Repeat with all 4 skewers and sprinkle lightly with Cajun seasoning.
  2. In a container, make a basting sauce by adding garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, and olive oil. Whisk together.
  3. On the well-oiled (with tongs, rub paper towel soaked in cooking oil) grates of a hot gas grill (or charcoal), add the skewers directly over the flames. Brush on the sauce, close the top of the grill and cook for 3 minutes. Open the top and flip over the skewers and brush with sauce. Close the lid and cook for another 3 minutes. Repeat until the shrimp turn pink and are cooked through. Move to a platter and brush on any remaining sauce. Keep warm.
Caesar Salad and Dressing
  1. Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, cut the kale into bite-sized pieces, removing any woody stems. Place in a mixing bowl and refrigerate.
  2. To coddle the eggs, put the eggs in a small pot filled half way with water and bring to a boil. Immediately turn off the heat and let the eggs cook for no more than 1 minute. Remove the eggs and rinse under cold water. Crack the eggs and scoop out the cooked whites and the runny yolk into the container of a blender.
  3. Add all of the anchovies along with their liquid into the same container of the blender. Add the Worcestershire, garlic, mustard, Tabasco, cream, and squeeze in the lemon juice, removing any seeds. Add 2 tablespoons of cheese. Turn the blender on LOW.
  4. While the blender runs, drizzle the olive oil until an emulsion forms and all the ingredients are incorporated. Taste the dressing for balance and flavor. Add more olive oil to round out the flavors and thin out the dressing.
  5. For assembling the salad, remove the kale from the refrigerator, and with paper towels dry up any moisture that has accumulated at the bottom of the bowl. Add the croutons. Pour over just enough of the dressing to coat the leaves and add a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Add half of the remaining cheese. With two large spoons, toss the lettuce and the croutons with the dressing. Sprinkle on the remaining cheese.
  6. On individual cold dinner plates, mound the salad in the middle and place the skewered shrimp alongside.
Notes
If you like, you can make this salad well ahead and the kale will stay crispy. Be sure to find the largest shrimp you can and don't overcook them. Any leftover salad should be refrigerated and will keep well in a covered container.
Recipe by Acadiana Table at https://acadianatable.com/2015/08/03/kale-caesar-with-grilled-shrimp/