Vietnamese Shrimp Salad (Gỏi Tôm)

Vietnamese gỏi tôm lands somewhere between a salad and slaw studded with shrimp. You can either purchase cooked shrimp at the supermarket seafood counter or poach your own. For the latter, in a large saucepan, bring 2 quarts water and ½ teaspoon kosher salt to a boil. Add 1 pound extra-large or large shrimp (peeled and deveined), cover, remove from the heat and let stand until the shrimp are opaque throughout, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain, transfer to ice water to halt the cooking, then drain again and pat dry. Fried shallots, though an optional garnish, lend a lot of character to the salad. You can fry your own using our recipe for Fried Shallots or look for them in Asian markets.