Coral Reef Shrimp Citrus Dish (Printable View)

Tender shrimp paired with citrus segments and melted Gruyère over vibrant vegetable ribbons.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 1.1 lb large pink shrimp, peeled and deveined

→ Citrus

02 - 2 medium oranges, segmented
03 - 1 tsp orange zest
04 - 1 small pink grapefruit, segmented
05 - Juice of 1 lemon

→ Cheeses

06 - 4 oz Gruyère cheese, grated
07 - 1.7 oz ricotta cheese

→ Vegetables & Garnish

08 - 1 small zucchini, thinly sliced into ribbons
09 - 1 small carrot, julienned
10 - 1 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
11 - 1 tbsp fresh dill, torn

→ Pantry

12 - 2 tbsp olive oil
13 - Salt, to taste
14 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven broiler to high.
02 - In a bowl, toss shrimp with 1 tablespoon olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
03 - Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and sauté shrimp for 2 minutes per side until just cooked through, then set aside.
04 - In a separate bowl, gently toss orange and grapefruit segments with zest and a pinch of salt.
05 - Steam zucchini ribbons and carrot strips for 1 to 2 minutes until tender. Arrange on a serving platter as the base.
06 - Nestle the cooked shrimp and citrus segments among the vegetables, layering to evoke a coral reef.
07 - Sprinkle grated Gruyère evenly over the arrangement and dot with spoonfuls of ricotta cheese.
08 - Place the platter under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes until the cheese bubbles and lightly browns.
09 - Remove from broiler, garnish with chopped chives and torn dill, drizzle with remaining olive oil, and serve immediately.

# Best Practices:

01 -
  • It looks like edible art but comes together in under 40 minutes, making you look far more impressive than the effort required.
  • The shrimp stays tender, the citrus cuts through the richness of melted cheese, and those steamed vegetables give you something substantial without weighing you down.
  • It's naturally pescatarian and gluten-free, so it works for almost any dinner table without requiring a separate menu.
02 -
  • Don't steam the vegetables too far in advance; they'll weep moisture and get soggy. Do it right before assembly so they're warm and still have structure.
  • The platter must be oven-safe, and it should be warm when you start building, so the shrimp don't cool down too much before the cheese goes in.
  • Broilers vary wildly, so position your platter where you can see it and stay nearby—the difference between bubbly and burned is about 30 seconds.
03 -
  • If you want even more color and visual drama, thin slices of watermelon radish or pomegranate seeds scattered across the top right before serving add another layer of surprise.
  • Keep a close eye on the broiler—every oven behaves differently, and the difference between perfectly bubbly and overdone is just seconds.
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