There’s a new kinda’ shrimp in town, well, it’s new for me! Has anyone else discovered Argentine Red Shrimp? If so, why haven’t you told me about them?! I’ve passed these guys in the freezer section for years, but their pink appearance with their “raw” label always confused me. Aren’t cooked shrimp pink, and raw ones gray? But, thanks to the quarantine and ‘limited’ stock (honestly, if we’re calling Argentine Shrimp a limitation, life is obviously pretty good) these were the only ones available so I grabbed a bag, and boy, oh boy, am I glad I did. These 🦐 are my newest food love! They are indeed pink when raw, and they have a delicious sweet lobster-y flavor. So I immediately had a hankering for a lobsta’ roll, Boston style. As I don’t like fiddling with dismantling lobsters, this was the perfect short cut!
These usually come raw and frozen, so thaw them under running water and cook them to your liking. You can steam or sauté them, but I love to roast them, it’s the least hands-on method and ensures a quick clean up!
Toast some brioche rolls face-down on a skillet with butter, or just enjoy as a salad for a #carbfree option. Both are fab! If you’re having a party, cut them up into bite sized sandwiches and you’ll be the host(ess) with the most(ess). I couldn’t churn these out fast enough!
xoxo Kirsty
Ingredients for 4 servings
1 lb. (450g) cooked Argentine shrimp, peeled, deveined & cooked
1/3 cup (75g) mayonnaise
2 teaspoons (10ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 stalk of celery, finely diced
1 tablespoon parsley, minced
2 teaspoons chives, minced
1 scallion, thinly sliced
a few dashes of hot sauce, tabasco or cholula
salt & pepper
To serve:
Bibb lettuce leaves
1/4 cup (55g) butter,melted
4 brioche buns, long ones if you can find them
To roast the shrimp, preheat the oven to 400F (200C). Line a roasting tin with foil and brush with olive oil. Toss the shrimp in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and roast for 6 minutes, flip, and roast for another 2-3 minutes, until just opaque. These are really tender and require minimal cooking. Season with salt and pepper and allow to cool slightly before chopping the
shrimp into bite-sized pieces. Argentine Shrimp are large, so I cut them into thirds or fourths. Place the shrimp in large bowl.
In a separate bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, celery, parsley, chives, scallion, hot sauce, and salt and pepper. Taste for seasoning. Once you have the seasoning to your liking, add to the shrimp and combine. I like to keep a little bit of the dressing aside if I’m making the lobster-style roll option, to spread on the roll.
Spoon onto lettuce leaves to serve as a salad. To make lobster-style rolls, brush the cut sides of brioche buns with melted butter and toast face-down on a hot skillet for 2-3 minutes. Add a smear of dressing and few spoons of shrimp salad. Halve or quarter them and hold in place with a toothpick if you’re making them as appetizers for a party!
