New England Style Shrimp Rolls

New England Style Shrimp Rolls ~ this is the stuff foodie memories are made of…jumbo chunks of wild caught shrimp simply tossed with mayo and lemon and then stuffed into a butter toasted bun ~ life (and lunch!) doesn’t get any better.

*Today I’m partnering with Marina Del Rey Foods ~ Marina Del Rey sells top quality wild, responsibly caught, frozen seafood.  Thanks for supporting me and the brands I work with, I only share this space with the very best ~ and that’s a promise.

The first time I tasted Marina Del Rey Wild Caught Argentine Red Shrimp I got a flashback to the amazing lobster rolls I enjoyed every summer on the coast of Maine.  If you’ve ever spent any time in New England you’ll know all about lobster rolls.  People look forward to them for months, and they’ll drive all day and all night just to satisfy their craving.

Marina Del Rey shrimp is big and meaty, with a sweet taste that actually resembles the flavor of lobster, how cool is that?

Because these rolls are made with convenient frozen shrimp you can get that true New England experience anywhere and any time the craving strikes.

This kind of minimal recipe makes perfect sense for top notch shellfish ~ you don’t want to overwhelm the delicate flavor or texture with lots of extras.  Purists will tell you that the classic New England roll is done in one of two ways ~ dressed with drawn butter, or with mayo ~ that is, with nothing else to interfere with the enjoyment of the pure shellfish.   Today I’m going the mayo route, but I’ll jazz it up a little bit ~ I can’t help myself.

I love this meal because I don’t have to think very far in advance to get it on the table.

My Marina Del Rey shrimp is already peeled and deveined, so all I need to do is run the frozen shrimp under cool water for a couple of minutes to quick-thaw it.

Cooking shrimp couldn’t be simpler.  I just put my thawed shrimp into the steamer insert of my big stockpot and add just enough water to come up to the holes of the basket.  Then I bring it to a boil, let it steam for a minute or two until the shrimp have started to curl and turn opaque, then shut off the heat, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes.  The shrimp are perfectly tender and delicious.  You could also saute them in butter for a more decadent flavor, but either way it takes just minutes.

I want to have nice chunky pieces of shrimp for my rolls, so I only cut them in half for this recipe.  Easy peasy.

TIP: Pat the shrimp dry before you add them to the bowl.  Excess moisture will make the dressing watery.

The final step, and it’s an important one ~ is to brush your rolls with melted butter and then grill or toast them.  That buttery crunch of the toasted roll is a big part of the magic of this dish, so don’t skip this step!

TIP: You’re supposed to use top split buns for a great shrimp roll.  Don’t ask me why, you just do, it’s tradition.  But as you can see I couldn’t find any around here, so I went with a regular hot dog bun.  Still great.

Then stuff ~ and I do mean stuff ~ your bun with the shrimp salad.

Add chips, dill pickles and a wedge of lemon.  You’re set.

The ‘thing’ about New England shellfish rolls is their simplicity.  So for this salad I’m going for the absolute minimum, the basics, like good mayo, some finely minced onion and celery, a squeeze of lemon, a good handful of snipped chives, salt and pepper, and that’s it.  Could you get more creative?  Sure, check out my ‘Make it your own’ suggestions under the recipe.  But I suggest making the classic shrimp rolls before you mess with perfection ;)

Why choose wild?

• Marina Del Rey shrimp is not farmed, it thrives in its natural habitat ~ the pure ice cold waters off the coast of Argentina, free from chemicals and pollutants.
• Wild shrimp eat their natural diet, with no added hormones or color.
• Wild caught shrimp actually has lower levels of sodium than farmed shrimp.
• The pink hue is the result of the same pigments that color flamingos, salmon, lobster, and carrots

Whether you want your shrimp small, medium, or jumbo ~ peel on, or off ~ cooked or raw ~ Marina Del Rey has you covered, and you can check out all their products HERE.

Cole slaw is a classic New England accompaniment to these shrimp rolls.  Any of mine from the blog would work perfectly, I’d suggest my VIDALIA ONION SLAW, (remember you can use any sweet onion for this) my RED CABBAGE & DILL SLAW, or, if you like a little kick, my SPICY RAINBOW SLAW.  Line your buns with the slaw before loading up with shrimp salad, or serve it on the side.

For lots more delicious wild caught seafood recipe inspiration follow Marina Del Rey on Facebook and Instagram.

Make it your own ~

• To cut the fat in these New England style shrimp rolls use low fat mayo, or half Greek yogurt and half mayo.
• Top with PICKLED JALAPENOS. 
• Make this meal even easier by using Marina Del Rey cooked shrimp ~ simply thaw and chop!
• For a low carb option line small bowls or glasses with lettuce and or diced avocado, and then spoon the shrimp salad over top.

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