According to John Mariani in his excellent The Dictionary of American Food and Drink (Hearst Books, 1994), San Francisco's Palace Hotel created Green Goddess dressing in the 1920s for actor George Arliss, who was appearing in town in William Archer's play The Green Goddess. We made this grill variation for stars of outdoor summer theater, backyard cooks like you and us.
SERVES 6
GREEN GODDESS DRESSING
| ½ | cup Enriched Mayonnaise ([>]) or other mayonnaise |
| ½ | cup sour cream |
| ⅓ | cup chopped fresh parsley |
| 2 | tablespoons chopped fresh chives |
| 1 | tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon |
| 1 | tablespoon tarragon vinegar |
| 2 | tablespoons water |
| 1 | green onion, chopped |
| 2 | medium anchovy fillets |
| ¼ | teaspoon salt, or more to taste |
| 1¼ | pounds medium shrimp, peeled and, if you wish, deveined |
| 3 | tablespoons tarragon vinegar |
| 2 | teaspoons olive oil |
| ½ | teaspoon salt |
| 3 | ripe Hass avocados, halved and peeled |
| Minced fresh chives, for garnish |
Prepare the dressing. In a blender, preferably, or a food processor, combine all the ingredients until smooth and light pea green. Cover the dressing and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. (The dressing can be made to this point several days in advance.)
In a bowl, toss the shrimp together with the vinegar, oil, and salt. Let the shrimp sit at room temperature while you heat the grill.
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to high (1 to 2 seconds with the hand test).
Drain the shrimp, discarding the liquid. Blot them of any excess moisture.
Transfer the shrimp to a well-oiled grate. Grill the shrimp uncovered over high heat for 1½ to 2 minutes per side, until just opaque with lightly browned edges. If grilling covered, cook the shrimp for the same amount of time, turning once midway.
Chill the shrimp for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours before serving. Arrange the avocados on individual plates and mound the chilled shrimp over them. Spoon the salad dressing over the shrimp, scatter the chives over the salad, and serve.