SHRIMP BURGERS WITH SWEET ‘N’ SPICY TARTAR SAUCE

 

Recipe courtesy of Grill Nation: 200 Surefire Recipes, Tips, and Techniques to Grill Like a Pro (2015, Oxmoor House) by Wild American Shrimp’s 2019 Chef of the Year David Guas, Chef/Owner of Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery – Arlington, VA

Serves 4 | Prep Time: 1 hour + overnight freezing | Cook Time: 15 minutes

SWEET ‘N’ SPICY TARTAR SAUCE

Ingredients

1 cup                          Mayonnaise

2 tablespoons           Fresh parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons           Horseradish

1.5 teaspoons           Lemon juice

.25 teaspoon             Paprika

Directions

Stir together all ingredients. Cover and chill for 30 minutes to 24 hours. Makes 1 cup of tartar sauce.

FOR THE BURGERS

Ingredients

1.25 pounds               Raw wild-caught American shrimp, medium-sized, unpeeled

For cooking               Vegetable cooking spray

1 each                         Egg, large, lightly beaten1 tablespoon mayonnaise

2 teaspoons               Lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon             Salt

1/8 teaspoon             Ground red pepper

3 tablespoons            Celery, finely chopped

2 tablespoons            Green onion, chopped

1 tablespoon              Fresh parsley, chopped

1.25 cups                    Cornbread crackers (about 1 sleeve or 24 crackers), crushed

4 each                         Kaiser rolls with poppy seeds, split

4 leaves                      Bibb lettuce

Directions

Peel the shrimp. Devein them, if desired. Cut each shrimp into thirds. Line a 15 x 10 inch jelly-roll pan with aluminum foil. Coat with cooking spray. Stir together egg, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt and ground red pepper. Stir in the celery, green onion and parsley.

Fold in the shrimp and cracker crumbs (the mixture will be thick). Shape the mixture into 4 patties each 4 inches wide and 1 inch thick. Place the patties on the prepared pan. Cover and chill for 1 to 24 hours. Transfer to the freezer and freeze for 30 minutes.

Coat cold cooking grate of grill with cooking spray, and place on grill. Light charcoal grill or preheat gas grill to 350°F-450°F (medium-high). Grill the burgers, covered with the grill lid, for 4 to 5 minutes or until the burgers lift easily from the cooking grate using a large spatula. Turn the burgers, and grill for 4 to 5 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink and the burgers are cooked through and lightly crisp.

Grill the buns, cut sides down, for 1 to 2 minutes until lightly toasted. Serve the shrimp burgers on the buns with the Sweet ‘n’ Spicy Tartar Sauce and Bibb lettuce leaves.

*Note: For an extra tang of flavor, grill lemon halves alongside the shrimp burgers, and squeeze a generous amount of lemon juice on each burger before topping it with tartar sauce.

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