Caprese Shrimp Salad

Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 85 min
Servings: 4
Yield: 4 servings

Description

This Italian seafood caprese salad with shrimp, tomatoes, and basil is perfect for special occasions. In Italy it is served for Christmas eve.

Ingredients

12 cherry tomatoes, halved and seeded
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 pinch oregano
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon peppercorns
salt and ground black pepper to taste
8 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 (8 ounce) ball fresh buffalo mozzarella
1 slice stale bread
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, or to taste
2 tablespoons sliced black olives
8 fresh basil leaves, or to taste

Directions

1 Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2 Place cherry tomatoes on the prepared baking sheet, cut side up; sprinkle with sugar and oregano.
3 Bake in the preheated oven until completely wilted, about 1 hour.
4 Meanwhile combine celery, carrot, onion, peppercorns, and salt in a saucepan. Add enough water to fill the saucepan halfway. Cover and bring to a boil for 10 minutes. Add shrimp and poach for 5 minutes. Drain, peel, and chop shrimp.
5 Cut buffalo mozzarella into cubes; place in a colander or sieve to drain off excess water.
6 Place bread in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to make breadcrumbs. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and cook until crispy and golden in color, about 3 minutes.
7 Mix the buffalo mozzarella cubes with cooked shrimp in a large bowl. Add chopped black olives and season to taste with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Arrange on a serving plate and top with caramelized tomatoes and toasted breadcrumbs. Drizzle with some more olive oil and garnish with basil leaves.