Recipes: Pecan Salad and Pan Seared Shrimp - KMPH FOX 26 | Central San Joaquin Valley News Source

Chef Eric DeGroot, from Roger Rocka's Dinner Theater, joined us in the Great Day Kitchen Tuesday morning. He prepared a couple of dishes off the menu for their latest production of 'Legally Blonde: The Musical.'

Here are the recipes so you can try these dishes at home. Let us know how they turn out!

Buttered Leaf, Red Pear & Candied Pecan Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup chopped basil
• ¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
• ¼ cup chopped chives
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• ½ cup buttermilk
• ½ teaspoon honey
• Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 2 heads butter leaf lettuce, chopped
• 2 red pears, cored and sliced thinly
• ½ cup candied pecans, recipe follows

Place the mayonnaise, fresh herbs, garlic, lemon juice in food processor and blend until smooth. Then add the buttermilk and honey and process until well blended. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Arrange lettuce on a salad platter. Drizzle dressing over lettuce and top with pears and candied pecans.

Candied Pecans:

At the restaurant we used to dredge the pecans in simple syrup and fry them in oil, but now we are doing this easy oven roasted method that seems to work out quite nice.

• 2 cups pecan halves
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Pinch of cayenne
• Pinch of black pepper

In a medium bowl, mix pecans with remaining ingredients until well incorporated. Lay out pecans in a single layer on sheet pan. Roast in a 300 degree oven, stirring occasionally till light golden brown and aromatic, about 15 minutes.

Pan Seared Shrimp on Fresh Corn Cakes with Smoked Chile Butter and Tomatillo Salsa

For Shrimp & Chile Butter:

• 1 ½ pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Olive oil for searing shrimp
• Kosher salt, black pepper and sugar for seasoning shrimp
• 1 stick of unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 ½ tablespoons canned chipotle chilies, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• Corn cakes and tomatillo salsa, recipe follows

In a medium bowl, mix the butter, chili powder, chipotle and cilantro and set aside at room temperature.

Season the shrimp with the salt, pepper and a sprinkle of sugar. Heat a little olive oil in a large non-stick skillet. Add shrimp and cook until just done. Turn off heat and add the chili butter. Toss around skillet until butter is melted and well incorporated. On a serving platter or individual plates, lay warm corn cakes down. Decoratively place shrimp on cakes and drizzle the melted chili butter on and around the plate. Keep in mind that you may not want to use all the chili butter for plating. Top with a spoonful of tomatillo salsa on each shrimp and serve.

Corn Cakes:

• ¾ cup flour
• ½ cup polenta or cornmeal
• ½ tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1¼ cups buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 egg
• 1 cup fresh corn kernels, about 1 ears worth
• ¼ cup chopped green onions

Mix first 6 ingredients in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, melted butter, honey, egg, corn and green onions. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix well. Over medium heat in a non stick skillet, ladle batter to form 2 inch cakes. Brown on one side, then turn over and finish on other side Keep warm.

Tomatillo Salsa:

• 3 large tomatillos, husked and minced
• 3 large tomatillos, husked and roasted in oven till brown, then minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in small bowl and mix well. Season to taste.