Chilled Jumbo Shrimp with Country-Style Vegetables & Truffle Vinaigrette*

Serves 4

20 jumbo shrimp tails
3 medium vine-ripe tomatoes
6 oz French string beans (haricots verts), trimmed
12 medium asparagus spears
6 medium artichoke hearts (fresh or canned)
6 oz fava beans
Juice of 2 lemons
2 oz extra-virgin olive oil
2 oz truffle juice (the liquid in a can of truffles)
Pepper to taste
1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
4 parsley sprigs, for garnish

Peel and devein shrimp. Skewer them lengthwise with a toothpick to hold
their shape; set aside.

Remove stems from tomatoes and cut into 1/2-inch cubes.

Cook the beans in boiling salted water for about 3 minutes, or until tender.

Immediately plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking and to set the color. Drain well; set aside. In the same manner, cook the asparagus for about 4 minutes, the fava beans for about 2 minutes, and the fresh artichoke hearts for about 10 minutes. (Canned artichokes should be sliced about 1/8-inch thick and not cooked.)

To make the vinaigrette, whisk the lemon juice with the oil and truffle juice. Season with pepper to taste. Place all vegetables in a shallow glass casserole and pour half the vinaigrette over them. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Season the shrimp with pepper. Sauté over medium heat until cooked on both sides, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels, remove toothpicks, and set in refrigerator.

About 10 minutes before serving, remove shrimp and vegetables from refrigerator. Place equal amounts of vegetables on 4 serving plates. Place 5 shrimps on each bed of vegetables; spoon 1 tsp vinaigrette over each serving. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and garnish with parsley leaves.