Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Easiest-Ever Summer Dinner


It’s 96 degrees outside, and we don’t have air conditioning.  It’s dinnertime, and my thoughts are turning to what would make the perfect meal: lobster rolls.

I first met a lobster roll about 15 years ago while visiting friends in Boston.  What I remember more than the actual lobster roll is the way we obtained the lobsters.  Our friends calling a local fisherman, and 30 minutes later he knocked on their door with several freshly caught lobsters in a crate.  These friends are not gourmet cooks, but they knew just how to crack open a lobster. 
 

I do not have a friendly fisherman to call.  But I have something better in my freezer: large shrimp.  To me, shrimp taste very similar to lobster.  Not only are they considerably cheaper per pound, but they work exceedingly well as a lobster substitute.  Thus, Mom’s Shrimp Rolls are on tonight’s menu. 
Shrimp Rolls – serves 2-3 
12-15 extra-large cooked shrimp (15-25 shrimp to the pound)
1 tablespoon mayonnaise or sour cream + more if needed
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 large celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 large or 2 small scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced
1 teaspoon dried dill
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
3 hot dog buns 
Place an oven rack about 6 inches below the broiling unit and begin preheating the broiler.  Open the hot dog buns about halfway and place them open-side up on a cookie sheet. 
Cut the cooked shrimp into 1/2-inch pieces. In a medium bowl combine the pieces with mayonnaise (or sour cream), horseradish, lemon juice, celery, scallions, dill, salt, black pepper and paprika and stir thoroughly.  If the mixture is not sticking together, add 1 more teaspoon mayonnaise or sour cream. 
When the broiler is hot, slide the buns on the rack and heat for about 1 minute, or until the edges of the buns start to brown.  The buns will burn very quickly, so keep an eye on them. 
Remove the buns and fill them with the shrimp mixture.  Serve immediately.  Each serving is 1 or 1 ½ buns.
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