Lemony Shrimp Roll

I love a good shrimp roll but it's not something I eat very often.  I don't know why because they are super easy and perfect for hot weather.  I like mine to be light on the mayo (which is saying something because I love mayo) and high on the freshness and brightness.  Lemon is what does the job through both the zest and the juice. A little onion gives some bite, celery for crunch, and the shrimp provides some natural sweetness.  

You can use this recipe and swap out the shrimp for crab, lobster...whatever! Any of them will work perfectly.  I used Argentinian shrimp.  "The lobster of shrimps."

I bought them raw, but feel fry to buy precooked shrimp if you want.  I poached them for about 2 minutes in water that had a lemon squeezed into it (I threw in the rinds for extra flavor) and some garlic powder.  After the two minutes, I shocked them in ice water and then patted dry before chopping into large chunks.

I noticed a lot of recipes on the internet emphasize keeping the shrimp whole or only cutting them in half.  I am different in that i HATE taking a bite of a sandwich and taking half the meat with me and leaving behind some lonely bread.  If the shrimp is chunked up that's much less likely to happen and it will blend in with the onion and celery for a better bite of all the flavors and textures.

I was trying to achieve the look of the traditional new england roll and the closest I could find were these brioche hot dog buns from the Walmart.  They were pretty darn good!  I toasted the sides of it in a low pan with butter to add a little texture and color.

Enough talking, let's get to the recipe!

Lemony Shrimp Roll

1 pound cooked shrimp cut into large chunks (may sub crab or lobster)

1 stalk celery, small diced

2 green onions, sliced

1/4 cup heaping mayo (basically 1/4 cup plus a tablespoon)

1 small lemon zested

2 Tb. lemon juice

3/4 tsp. Old Bay seasoning

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Hot dog buns 

Butter to pan toast buns

Combine the chopped shrimp, celery, green onion, mayo, lemon zest, lemon juice, old bay, and salt. 

Lightly butter the hot dog buns and pan toast over low heat to get a gentle crunch and light golden brown color.

Spoon the shrimp mixture into the roll just before eating to keep from getting soggy.