old bay avocado shrimp rolls
A random morning brain scramble sometimes yields the raddest of recipes, like this one.
Lobster rolls are a New England specialty. We enjoyed our first in Providence last September at this very unassuming seafood shack by the water. You’d never guess the tiny trailer building housed what many consider the best lobster roll in the town. It really was a perfect flavor meld: buttery, not too mayonnaise-laden, the lobster meat was tender and naturally salty, the bun toasted just enough.
I enjoy lobster quite a bit, but it’s so expensive that we rarely buy it except for special occasions – a couple years ago on my birthday, J made me a mean dish with grilled lobster. unf. For some reason on Pinterest, lobster rolls keep popping up, and they reminded me of the experience in Providence so much that a bit of nostalgia crept up and brought about the idea of shrimp rolls.
Now shrimp, I can get on board with. I eat shrimp a lot and lately, since my salmon phase has floated off with the mental rapids (still love it, just haven’t wanted to buy it much), recipes with shrimp are fulfilling my need for simple, diverse pairings. As far as seafood goes, shrimp is typically the most reasonable in price, and it’s not common to find frozen bags discounted steeply for weekly specials.
These Old Bay Avocado Shrimp Rolls are a nod to the classic filling of a lobster roll, with my own little touch thanks to the chopped avocado and plenty of Old Bay sprinkled within. Stuff the shrimp into buttery buns, and eat them while they’re still warm from the skillet. Summertime wrapped in a brioche hug.
Rollin’
The best part about these shrimp rolls is the quickness of their coming together. Shrimp is amazing that way: it’s not a lengthy process to thaw them usually, but here you don’t even really need to if you’re pressed for time. Holla! Just make sure they’re peeled and deveined, and pull the tails off. You can also remove the tails after they’re cooked, too.
Bring some water to a boil and pop those shrimp in. If you’re working from frozen, you’ll need around 5 minutes since the icy bits on the shrimp will cool down the water, but if you’ve thawed them ahead of time 3 minutes is more apt. Heat until they’re pink and opaque, then drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Let them sit in the strainer to continue cooling.
For the filling, grab some unassuming ingredients from your fridge and pantry. Vegan or regular mayonnaise (I always use vegan just because I like the taste better), a nice ripe avocado (but not so soft that it’s better used for guacamole), celery, garlic, a shallot, and Old Bay seasoning. Whip it all together with the cooled-off shrimp and season with salt and pepper as you will. This shit is good enough to eat on its own, but be patient – the buns are worth the wait. Teehee.
Butter Your Buns
Yup.
A quick toasting in the skillet with some brown butter gives that beautiful golden gloss to the rolls. I bought some big brioche buns for the job, but if all you have are regular-ass hot dog buns leftover from the 4th of July, those are fine.
Melt some butter in the skillet, then heat the buns for a minute each side. Not looking for char, just a minute amount of crisp.
Now, stuff your pants, I mean buns!
I love butter lettuce as my green filler, but any leafy variety works. Pile in the shrimp mixture and finish with a smattering of pickled onions (or green onions!) Sometimes I’ll throw on some hot sauce if I’m needed a little slap in the booty, but the Old Bay is typically enough to satiate my spicy cravings.
And of course, lots of kettle chips. I forgot how much I like potato chips. Probably something I should’ve kept forgetting.
The shrimp mixture keeps really well in the fridge if you need to make it ahead of time – in fact, I think it tastes even better the next day – but omit the avocado if you do to prevent any unsightly browning. I like to eat my rolls with the shrimp at room temperature, so I’ll pull out the bowl and let it sit for about 10 minutes or so on the counter. Cold is great as well, so don’t be afraid if your gnawing stomach demands a shrimp roll right fucken now and you can’t wait.
I can’t think of much that’s more summery than a seafood sandwich, and I’m hyped to have one available for ya’ll to try. Enjoy this shit, yo!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Shrimp ain’t for wimps:
20 Minute Spicy BBQ Shrimp Rice Bowls
One Skillet Lemon White Wine Shrimp and Orzo
15 Minute Brown Butter Shrimp Scampi
Lemon Garlic Shrimp and Asparagus with Honey Butter Polenta
old bay avocado shrimp rolls
Ingredients
- 1 lb large or jumbo shrimp, tail off
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1/3 cup vegan or regular mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup celery, diced
- 1 small shallot, finely minced
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 tsp old bay seasoning
- 6-8 butter lettuce leaves
- 6 brioche hot dog buns or hoagies
- 2 tbsp butter
- pickled red onions, to serve
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the shrimp and cook until pink and opaque, about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse under cool water to stop the cooking process. Let cool, then slice into large chunks (halved, or thirded, depending on the size of your shrimpies).
- In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, celery, shallot, garlic, and Old Bay seasoning. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Once the shrimp is cooled, toss it with the sauce along with the diced avocado, until combined.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat until browned, about 2-3 minutes. Set each bun in the skillet and toast for 1 minute per side, until golden.
- Arrange lettuce leaves in each bun. Top with the shrimp mixture and garnish with pickled red onions and additional cracked pepper, as desired.
