Finally sun is out and it feels like Spring.

Let's celebrate with Greek flavors courtesy of Smashing Plates (Kyle Books USA, April 2014) by Maria Elia.

Maria recently made her U.S debut as executive chef of Jimmy's Restaurant at Landing Resort & Spa in Lake Tahoe.

Ouzo mayonnaise Shrimp cocktail

Serves 4

14oz cooked jumbo shrimp, shell on
3/4 cup Ouzo Mayonnaise (see opposite)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon or dill
1 tablespoon lemon juice
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch Romaine lettuce, or 1/2 head iceberg lettuce
(I prefer the Romaine leaf for garnish)
1/2 bulb of fennel, finely sliced widthwise
1 avocado, diced
paprika, for sprinkling

To serve:

1 lemon, cut into wedges
crusty bread and butter (optional)

Peel all but 4 of the shrimp, cut them in half, and combine with the mayonnaise, herbs, and lemon juice and mix thoroughly. Season with a little salt and pepper.

Select 4 good-looking Romaine leaves and set aside for the garnish. Shred the crisp inner leaves and mix with the fennel.

Place a Romaine lettuce leaf down the side of each of 4 glasses and place the lettuce mixture in the bottom, followed by some avocado. Spoon the prawn mayo over the top and sprinkle with a little paprika to add that retro touch! Garnish with the remaining shrimp and lemon wedges and serve immediately, preferably with buttered crusty bread!

This is a retro classic with a Greek twist that always makes me smile!

You could use crawfish tails, large prawns, lobster meat, or cooked octopus (see page 49) as an
alternative to the shrimp.

Ouzo mayonnaise

Don’t be tempted to make this with extra-virgin olive oil. It’s too harsh and overpowering for mayonnaise and also a waste of money. One option would be to use 1 cup of something like a grapeseed
or sunflower oil plus 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. For a quick version, you could of course add a dash of ouzo to a store-bought mayonnaise.

Makes about 1 cup

2 free-range egg yolks, at room temperature
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
sea salt
1 cup + 2 tablepoons light olive oil
3 tablespoons ouzo
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Whisk the yolks, mustard, and a pinch of salt together in a bowl with a hand-held blender (or by hand) until thick—if you sit your bowl on a damp kitchen towel it’ll stop it from spinning around. (Alternatively, you can make the mayonnaise in a blender.) While whisking slowly, add the oil a little at a time until it
forms a thick consistency. Stir in the ouzo and the lemon juice. Season with a little sea salt and refrigerate until required. Use within 3 days.

Variations: To make a lighter mayonnaise, stir through a tablespoonful or two of Greek yogurt. You could also add chopped fresh dill or tarragon, anchovies, or olives and some crushed garlic and use on new potatoes for a salad.

(* Recipe excerpted from Smashing Plates by Maria Elia -Kyle Books USA, April 2014- Photography by Jenny Zarins, all right reserved)