why hello there and happy day to you!! thanks for tuning in. seafood lovers rejoice because this week’s post is an ever-easy recipe to keep your summer feeling summery, by way of shrimp and avocado.
in the past week, i think i’ve eaten a year’s worth of seafood. my family and friends celebrated my brother rob’s big 3-0, which called for a crab feast (as good maryland birthdays do). said crab feast turned into crab cakes one day later and a bevy of shrimp cocktail turned into this very recipe.
the thirtieth birthday party? well that was fun. we ate crab and shrimp, danced, and watched a tremendous storm from a peninsula on the chesapeake bay. it was scary and fun all at the same time! my brother jake and i gifted rob an original painting of us three made by my friend stewy. see below for a better look at his work!
okay, back to these shrimpies. i wanted an easy recipe to make with a whole batch of cooked shrimp and it seemed fitting to slide them into potato rolls with some mayonnaise. but what else? i looked up recipes for shrimp rolls and the following fillings kept popping up: tarragon, chives, celery, bibb lettuce. these green additions gave me some ideas for the type of roll i wanted: something herby and full of veggies. i ran rogue with mine though, bringing avocado, a favorite sandwich filling of mine, to the forefront of these rolls. along with dill and lemon for flavor and scallions for a bit of crunch, the shrimp and avocado mix quickly grew to be a tangy, herby, and addictive spread.
but not without a properly buttered bun! make sure you butter your rolls and toast them up. i can’t repeat this enough. not to mention, add a dash of salt and pepper to the base of the roll. you can toast your rolls on the grill, in the toaster, or as i did, on the broil setting in the oven. just be sure to keep an eye on them if they’re oven bound.
as you can see, i don’t go light on the mayo. you can adjust the measurements for your liking but the mayonnaise does lend to a rich and creamy roll. for this reason, make sure your avocados aren’t *too* mushy when you’re picking them.
what is necessary for your shrimp, crab, or lobster roll platter? potato chips!! a quick grocery store run led to these kettle cooked chips with black pepper and salt by cape cod. they were definitely a good decision.
so if you’re trying to savor the summer — literally — these rolls are for you. buttery, creamy, filled with fresh veggies and shrimp, they’re the perfect august meal for you, you and your honey, or you and a whole batch of friends.
and in other stuff!
stewy, my friend from college, made this incredible painting for my brother. check out his work on his instagram and site!! #wildcats
hip hip hooray! my friend abby from high school made my bagel recipe!! feeling v proud and happy right now. #eagles
i have two weeks left in dc!! any restaurant recommendations for me? comment below!
shrimp avocado rolls
serves 4
fixings
18 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
potato rolls (i used martin’s long rolls)
2 medium avocados, cut into cubes
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon old bay seasoning
1/4 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
1/4 teaspoon paprika
4 sprigs dill, chopped
bunch of scallions, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
butter for buns
instructions
- take your peeled and deveined shrimp and cook them if they’re not already cooked. you can do so by boiling them in a pot of salted water for 2-5 minutes. drain and rinse with cool water. once cool, cut the shrimp into bite size pieces.
- put the mayonnaise, lemon juice, paprika, old bay, and lemon-pepper seasonings in a medium sized bowl. whisk to incorporate.
- fold in the avocados, scallions, dill and lastly, the chopped shrimp. add salt and pepper to taste.
- heat potato rolls as described above. once heated, lightly butter your rolls and add salt and pepper.
- load on your avocado and shrimp filling. eat!
photography by catherine o’donnell/foodstuffs
CATHERINE KATE MARGARET 