ALMOST lobster BLT

Sandwiches

Jonathan Surratt

Yield
Instructions for 1 sandwich with enough lobster meat for 4 sandwiches

Prep Time
schedule 10 minutes

Cook Time
schedule 25 minutes

Total Time
schedule 1 hour and 5 minutes

This BLT sandwich has tender, dressed Argentine red shrimp that have the texture and sweetness typically associated with lobster meat, turning a simple sandwich into something much more exciting. The shrimp idea and cooking process is adapted from Brian Lagerstrom's Argentine red shrimp method.

Ingredients:

Shrimp cooking

3 quarts water
²⁄₃ cup kosher salt
¹⁄₂ cup sugar
1 pound Argentine red shrimp (21/25 or sometimes called extra large or jumbo), thawed, peeled and deveined

Shrimp dressing

2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¹⁄₂ teaspoon kosher salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon ground black pepper
zest of half a lime or lemon
1 teaspoon lime or lemon juice

Sandwich assembly

2 slices of white or wheat bread
mayonnaise and/or mustard
iceberg or leaf lettuce
2 to 3 slices of cooked bacon
1 to 2 slices of tomato
dressed and cooked shrimp (from above)

Directions:

Shrimp cooking: to a large stock pot, add the water, kosher salt, and sugar, and bring to a rolling boil.

Once the water is vigorously boiling, remove the pot from the heat and add the shrimp. Set a timer for 2 and a half minutes and get a knife and a cutting board ready. After 2.5 minutes, remove one shrimp and cut it in half, and check to see if it's opaque all the way through. If it is, the shrimp is fully cooked, and you can remove the rest. If it's still translucent in the very center, add the shrimp back to the water and cook for an additional 30 seconds or so.

Remove the shrimp to a paper towel-lined plate or sheetpan and immediately place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. You can leave this in the fridge overnight if you want to make the sandwiches the next day.

Shrimp dressing: when it's time to make sandwiches, chop each shrimp into 6 to 8 small pieces.

To a medium-sized bowl, add mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, salt, black pepper, lime juice, and zest, and mix to thoroughly combine. Add all the cut-up shrimp to the bowl with the dressing and carefully stir to coat fully.

Sandwich assembly: Toast the slices of bread on one or both sides. I like to do this in a pan with butter or bacon fat, but you can use a toaster if you'd prefer.

Spread mayonnaise and/or mustard on one slice of bread. Top with lettuce, bacon, and then the tomato slice. Lightly salt the tomato and pepper it if you'd like.

Top the tomato slices with a couple of spoons of dressed shrimp. Cover the shrimp with the second slice of toast.

Serve and enjoy.

ALMOST lobster BLT Print

ALMOST lobster BLT

Ingredients:

Directions:

ALMOST lobster BLT