Recipe: Sesame Noodle Salad with Watermelon and Shrimp

To help kick off summer, Chef Francis serves up a mouthwatering culinary creation, Sesame Noodle Summer Salad with Watermelon and Grilled Shrimp. He adds soba noodles to a classic Greek watermelon salad for a heartier, more satisfying meal.

Sesame Noodle Summer Salad with Watermelon and Grilled Shrimp by Chef Francis Dimitrius

Makes 4 serving

INGREDIENTS:

12 U-10 shrimp, marinated (U-10 means that there are less than 10 shrimp per pound—we used Mexican White shrimp.)
1/2 watermelon cut into 1/2″ cubes. (Watermelon rind reserved)
1 cup feta cheese
1/2 cup manouri cheese (a soft Greek cheese used primarily for desserts) or mascarpone
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon Archer Farms crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon Archer Farms sesame seeds
1 pound soba noodles
1/4 cup Tahini sauce
4 tablespoons Market Pantry soy sauce
3 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup mint, chiffonade (Rolled up and thinly sliced. If you chiffonade you don’t bruise the mint and turn it brown.)
1/2 cup pickled watermelon rind, recipe follows

For the Pickled Watermelon Rind
1/2 cup watermelon rind, thinly sliced
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon Sichuan pepper, coarsely chopped

For the Shrimp Marinade
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil

PREPARATION:

STEP 1: Heat grill to 350 degrees F.

STEP 2: Heat olive oil in a small sauté pan on low heat.


STEP 3: Add green onions, chili flakes and sesame seeds. Cook until onions are golden brown. Reserve this chili oil.



STEP 4: For the shrimp marinade:r. Reserve for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.


STEP 5: For the quick pickled watermelon rind: In a non-reactive saucepot, heat all ingredients together. Bring to a boil and turn off heat. Chill liquid and watermelon. Rinse over ice; reserve for garnish.


STEP 6: Cook soba noodles in a large pot of salted water until firm to the bite, about 5 minutes. Strain and cool under cold water.


STEP 7: Grill off marinated shrimp. Cook for 3 minutes each side. Do not let glare flare up!


STEP 8: Mix tahini, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey and 3 tablespoons of reserved chili oil in a large bowl.


STEP 9: In the large bowl with the tahini mixture, add the cooked cooled soba noodles.


STEP 10: Divide evenly amongst four bowls. Add shrimp and watermelon. Garnish each plate with chopped cilantro, chiffonade of mint, pickled watermelon rind, feta and manouri cheese. Serve and impress your friends!




Disclosure: I did not receive any products nor was paid for this post. I was provided info and access to photos to share. Thanks to A Bullseye View. Any expressed opinions are my own and personal thoughts. No other compensation was given.