Seafood Salad Perfection
By Andrew Zimmern
A lobster roll without the lobster-roll price tag? I’m listening.
Grilled shrimp, lump crab meat, celery for crunch, chives, lemon, mayo, mustard and a little hot sauce. The key is keeping the shrimp coarsely chopped and folding in the lump crab at the very end so the seafood keeps its texture. Seafood Salad doesn’t need much more than that.
The knife matters. My Shun knife gives me the control to coarsely chop the shrimp, finely slice the chives and prep everything cleanly without turning that beautiful seafood into mush.
Pile it high in toasted bolillo (don’t be shy about the filling), finish with lemon zest and more chives, and call it lunch.
Crab and shrimp for the win. Trust me on this one.
Shrimp & Crab Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 pound medium shrimp, U16–20, peeled and deveined
- Olive oil, for brushing
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 celery stalk, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons finely sliced chives, plus more for serving
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise, plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste
- 8 ounces jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over for shells
- 4 bolillo rolls
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- Finely grated lemon zest, for finishing
Instructions
Prepare a grill for high direct heat.
Lightly coat the shrimp with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill for about 2 minutes per side, until just cooked through. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool slightly, then coarsely chop. You want distinct pieces of shrimp rather than a fine mince.
In a large bowl, combine the shrimp, celery and chives. Add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard and hot sauce and stir gently to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, lemon or hot sauce as needed.
Add the jumbo lump crab and gently fold it into the shrimp mixture, taking care not to break up the large pieces. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Grill the bolillo rolls whole until warmed through and lightly toasted on the outside, turning as needed. Remove from the grill, then slice them open lengthwise without cutting all the way through. Butter the warm interior if desired, then generously fill with the shrimp and crab salad.
Finish with additional chives and a little freshly grated lemon zest.
