Shrimp Salad

Growing up, I spent many summers vacationing out on the east end of Long Island.  It is truly one of my favorite places-beautiful, clean beaches, cute little towns, gorgeous homes, and wonderful and fresh seafood. A few years ago, when Matt and I were still dating, we took a long weekend and explored some of the towns on the east end.  One of our favorite meals was at a great little restaurant, The Lobster Roll, which is affectionately known to many as "Lunch".  "Lunch" is known for it's famous lobster roll as well as it's many other no-frills dishes that highlight the fresh and plentiful seafood found in eastern Long Island and is a must go to stop for lots of visitors.  Knowing how much I love this place, and liking it quite a bit themselves, my parents bought me a copy of Lunch's cookbook signed by the owners on a recent trip to eastern Long Island.  Now that summer is in full swing in Maryland, I love using the seafood that is available here to try and recreate some of this dishes from Lunch.

I really enjoy learning new things that make my cooking better.  One interesting fact I learned from the Lobster Roll cookbook was that  when celery is chopped, it releases its natural moisture, which can waterdown salads and make soupy.  To prevent this from happening, I chopped the celery, wrapped it in a few paper towels, and placed in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.  This allowed the paper towels to absorb the excess moisture.  For this recipe, a similar strategy was used for the shrimp as well, as is described below.

 Shrimp Salad

1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 1/2 pounds small shrimp (50-70 per pound), tails removed, peeled, and deveined
1/2 to 3/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped bell peppers
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 hot dog buns

Bring 1 quart of water and the Old Bay Seasoning to a rapid boil.  Add the shrimp and cook for 1 minute.  Turn off the heat, stir and allow the shrimp to sit in the hot water for 3 to 4 minutes, or until fully cooked.  Rinse, drain well, wrap in a clean, dry towel, and place in the refrigerator for several hours (this will ensure that the shrimp are free of any excess moisture). 

In a medium bowl, combine the dry shrimp, mayonnaise, celery, peppers, lemon juice, garlic, salt, onion, and pepper.  Mix thoroughly and refrigerate until ready to serve.

If desired, butter the buns and place them on a grill or under a broiler until lightly toasted.  Fill with cold shrimp salad, and serve. 

Adapted from: The Lobster Roll cookbook