Always rinse fetta cheese well under cold running water before using it. This mild sheep's milk cheese is preserved in brine — which greatly increases its salt content if not rinsed off.
ingredients
serves 4
1 large red pepper, halved and de-seeded
1 pound frozen uncooked freshwater shrimps, thawed, shelled and de-veined
3 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/2 medium cucumber, peeled and chopped
2 level tablespoons chopped fresh dill or parsley
1/4 cup fetta cheese, rinsed and crumbled
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 level teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound frisee lettuce, washed and dried
Lemon wedges to garnish
method
1. Grill the pepper halves, skin side up, under a moderate heat for 5-6 minutes until blistered all over. Put the halves in a small bowl and cover with a clean damp cloth.
2. Bring 2 pints of unsalted water to the boil in a large saucepan and cook the shrimps in it over a moderate heat, stirring continuously, for about 2 minutes, until they are just firm. Rinse the shrimps in a colander under cold running water, drain them and pat dry with kitchen paper.
3. Mix the shrimps with the onions, cucumber, dill or parsley and fetta.
4. Pull the skin off the pepper, working over a bowl to catch any juices. Slice the pepper flesh thinly and add it to the prawn mixture.
5. Whisk together the lemon juice, oil, vinegar, juice from the pepper, mustard and garlic until the mixture thickens slightly, then season with black pepper. Pour the dressing over the prawn mixture and toss gently to coat everything.
6. Line a salad bowl with lettuce leaves and spoon in the prawn mixture. Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over the salad.
more information
If you cannot get uncooked freshwater shrimps, you can thaw 8 oz (225 g) frozen cooked peeled shrimps to mix into the salad, but these will have a higher salt content.
