Shrimp Salad with Croutons

Ingredients

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 cup coarsely chopped, drained jarred roasted red peppers (6ounces),
1 tablespoon of oil from the jar reserved
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Four 1-inch-thick slices of ciabatta bread
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound shelled and deveined medium shrimp
1 medium Vidalia or other sweet onion, thinly sliced
1/4 c. minced chives

Instructions

Light a grill. In a small bowl, mix the vinegar with the honey, mustard,1/4 cup of the olive oil and the reserved 1 tablespoon of red pepper oil. Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper.
Brush the ciabatta slices on both sides with olive oil and grill over high heat until lightly charred, about 1 minute per side. Let cool slightly, then cut into 1-inch cubes.
In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the garlic and shrimp, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat until the shrimp are pink and curled, about 1 minute per side. Scrape the shrimp and garlic into a bowl and let cool slightly.
Add the roasted red peppers, onion, chives and croutons to the shrimp. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss well. Transfer to plates and serve.

Notes

When weather permits, Tornquist's husband, Jeremy Kerman, grills ciabatta or another kind of chewy bread on their backyard grill, then cuts it up and mixes it into shrimp salad. This is faster than making croutons in the oven, and gives the dish a wonderful charred and smoky taste.