Shrimp Rolls

I made a batch of New England Hot Dog Buns the other day and only used half, and I wanted to clear them out while they are still fresh. New England hot dog buns are the bread of choice for lobster rolls, because of their soft texture and ever so slightly sweet taste. They are also incredibly milky and buttery, which was why I chose to make them even for regular hot dogs.

Since I have more rolls leftover, why not make something they are originally intended for? Okay technically I’m not making lobster rolls, but I have a bag of shrimp in the freezer that needs cookin’ and eatin’, so here goes.

These turned out quite lovely. I didn’t have honey mustard or Dijon mustard on hand, so I had to quickly make my own honey mustard using mustard powder. I wonder if I should have upped the seasonings a bit, will adjust accordingly next time. Overall quite a keeper, and so so worth it when you happen to have some good, fresh shrimp on hand!

Shrimp Rolls

Ingredients

• 1 kg shrimp, deveined, shell and head left on
• 2 liters water
• 2 tablespoons plus 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 lemon, halved crosswise
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar OR apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey mustard OR dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
• 1 stalk green onion, finely chopped
• 4 New England Hot Dog Buns, or your preferred hot dog buns

Directions

First, boil the shrimp. In a large pot over medium high heat, bring the water to a rolling boil.

Squeeze out the juice of half of the lemon before adding it into the pot. Add 2 tablespoons of the salt.

Prepare a large bowl of iced water.

Add the shrimp to the pot and cook, stirring briefly before covering, until shrimp turns pink and opaque and just cooked through, about 2 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to the ice bath to stop the cooking process. Work quickly to ensure the shrimp isn’t overcooked.

When cool enough to handle, peel the shrimp. Cut in half crosswise.

In a mixing bowl, add the remaining half of the lemon juice, mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, sugar, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper, and stir to thoroughly combine. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Stir in the shrimp, celery, and green onions.

Prep your hot dog rolls. Split the tops of your rolls, being careful not to cut all the way through.

Butter the sides of your hot dog rolls.

In a nonstick skillet over medium heat, lightly toast your rolls on all sides, about 20 seconds on each side.

Evenly divide the shrimp mixture among the rolls, and serve.