This summer side salad has it all going on. There’s shrimp, roasted corn, and most importantly Chesapeake Seasoning, a homemade less salty version of Old Bay Seasoning. Whether served warm or cold, this is one summer side dish that your friends are going to want to dive right on into.
Growing up as a child in Maryland, and now living in Virginia, I guess it’s hard for me to understand how a huge part of the people in this country have absolutely no clue what Old Bay Seasoning is. To me, it’s a run-of-the-mill seasoning, especially where seafood is concerned. I mean what else would you put on steamed spiced shrimp? There’s just no other option.
So, for quite some time now, I’ve been wanting to come up with my own homemade version of this popular seafood seasoning. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that the original isn’t perfectly fine, it’s just that it has so much salt in it, which tends to make me look like a blown-up tick. And while they do now offer a lower sodium variety of this seasoning, I felt it was time to break down and make my own.
Well, let’s just say that I learned something I didn’t previously know. Most local grocery stores do not carry ground bay. I know, I know, most of you are probably gasping right now, thinking that bay is poisonous and not for consumption. Wrong. That’s just something you’ve heard before that is an utter lie. Bay leaves are perfectly safe to eat if they are broken into very tiny pieces or ground into a powder.
Anyway, after a quick visit to the market and the realization that no ground bay was to be found, I decided to make my own. I used my fingers to crush several bay leaves into itty-bitty-teeny-weenie pieces and then tossed them into a food processor with the rest of the Chesapeake Seasoning ingredients. It did the job and I got to pulverize the hell out of some shit. What’s not to love about that?
Then, I tasted a bit of Old Bay Seasoning followed by a bit of my homemade Chesapeake Seasoning. I’ll admit there was a huge difference. The Old Bay Seasoning was extremely salty and mine was not salty in the least. However, when I added the seasoning to the shrimp and corn salad recipe below, it totally had the flavor I was going for. All of the flavor, without having to look like a blown-up tick for three days straight.
Ingredients:
Chesapeake Seasoning:
- 1 Tablespoon Light Brown Sugar, Packed
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Celery Seed
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Ground Bay
- 1 Teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper
- 1 Teaspoon Paprika
- 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Dry Mustard
- 1/8 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1/8 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
- 1/8 Teaspoon Ground All Spice
- 1/8 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
- 1/8 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
Shrimp & Corn Salad:
- 6 Ears Fresh Corn
- 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Divided
- 2 Pounds Large Raw Shrimp, Shelled & Deveined
- 1/4 Cup Mayonnaise
- 1/4 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1 Teaspoon Hot Sauce
- 1 Bunch Scallions, Finely Chopped (Green Parts Only)
- 1/2 Cup Fresh Parsley, Finely Chopped
Directions:
Chesapeake Seasoning:
- Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl.
Shrimp & Corn Salad:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Remove the husk from each corn cob, making sure to remove as much corn silk as possible. Place a small bowl upside down inside of a larger bowl. Place the end of a corn cob on top of the small bowl and then cut down with a serrated knife. The corn kernels fall into the larger bowl and don’t end up all over your kitchen counter. Simply remove the small bowl when you are finished cutting the corn off of all of the cobs.
- Place the corn onto a baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and then sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the Chesapeake Seasoning. Stir well to combine.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Place the shrimp in the same large bowl you used for the corn. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the Chesapeake Seasoning. Stir well to combine.
- Evenly distribute the shrimp on top of the corn and then bake for an additional 6 to 10 minutes, or until cooked through.
- In a clean large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, cream, hot sauce, and the remaining Chesapeake Seasoning until well combined.
- Add the corn, shrimp, scallions, and parsley to the bowl. Stir well to combine.
Suggestions:
- This salad can be served right away or chilled for later. I actually prefer it chilled.
- If you don’t have a 1/8 teaspoon measuring spoon, just add a healthy-sized pinch of each spice.
- You can find ground bay online or at specialty spice stores. It is not always easy to find at your local market though. You can grind your own bay leaves if you choose, however, it will be hard to get it to a powder consistency. To make your own, crush one bay leaf at a time between your fingers, breaking it into very small pieces. When you have enough to equal 1 1/2 teaspoons, place it into a food processor with all of the other spices needed to make the Chesapeake Seasoning. Process for several minutes to break down the bay leaves.
- If you don’t want to make your own Chesapeake Seasoning, you can replace it with Old Bay Seasoning. Just remember that Old Bay Seasoning has much more salt in it though. So you will probably have to use much less. Perhaps 1 teaspoon for the corn and 1 teaspoon for the shrimp. You can add more to the sauce if you feel it needs more flavor. They now make a lower-sodium version, so I suggest using that if possible.
Improvements:
- Add crumbled feta to the salad.
- Replace the shrimp with imitation crab meat.
- Add finely diced green or red peppers to the salad.
- Use 4 cups of frozen corn in this recipe instead of fresh corn. You will need to roast it for an additional 5 minutes before adding the shrimp.
Ingredients:
- 1 Tablespoon Light Brown Sugar, Packed
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Celery Seed
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Ground Bay
- 1 Teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper
- 1 Teaspoon Paprika
- 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Dry Mustard
- 1/8 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1/8 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
- 1/8 Teaspoon Ground All Spice
- 1/8 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
- 1/8 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
- 6 Ears Fresh Corn
- 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Divided
- 2 Pounds Large Raw Shrimp, Shelled & Deveined
- 1/4 Cup Mayonnaise
- 1/4 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1 Teaspoon Hot Sauce
- 1 Bunch Scallions, Finely Chopped (Green Parts Only)
- 1/2 Cup Fresh Parsley, Finely Chopped
Directions:
- Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Remove the husk from each corn cob, making sure to remove as much corn silk as possible. Place a small bowl upside down inside of a larger bowl. Place the end of a corn cob on top of the small bowl and then cut down with a serrated knife. The corn kernels fall into the larger bowl and don’t end up all over your kitchen counter. Simply remove the small bowl when you are finished cutting the corn off of all of the cobs.
- Place the corn onto a baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and then sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the Chesapeake Seasoning. Stir well to combine.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Place the shrimp in the same large bowl you used for the corn. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the Chesapeake Seasoning. Stir well to combine.
- Evenly distribute the shrimp on top of the corn and then bake for an additional 6 to 10 minutes, or until cooked through.
- In a clean large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, cream, hot sauce, and the remaining Chesapeake Seasoning until well combined.
- Add the corn, shrimp, scallions, and parsley to the bowl. Stir well to combine.
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Make sure to check out all of the other great Farmer’s Market Week recipes below. A huge thanks to A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures for hosting this event.
- Blueberry Mug Cake by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Dijon Pan Bagnat by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Late Summer Trail Mix by The Freshman Cook
- Mini Peach Parfaits by Intelligent Domestications
- Pecan Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread by Kate’s Recipe Box
- Pickled Garlic Scapes by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Shrimp & Corn Salad with Chesapeake Seasoning by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
- Smoky Grilled Corn Salsa by Jolene’s Recipe Journal