Tasty Bites: Simple Shrimp Salad

By Beth V

It is hard to beat a good shrimp salad sandwich. People are willing to pay quite a bit to buy them at restaurants and with good reason….they are a wonderful treat.  You will be surprised how incredibly easy this is to put together and the payoff is really delicious.

Start with one pound of medium-sized shrimp. I started with a 1-lb bag of frozen shrimp from Aldi that cost about $4. You can also start with shrimp you’ve had steamed at the supermarket or even frozen, already-cooked shrimp.

To steam these shrimp, I followed the recipe on the container of Old Bay seasoning.  For a pound of shrimp, combine 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ cup of water, and ½ cup of white vinegar. Bring this to boil in a sauce pan or steamer pan. Add the shrimp, cover and allow to steam just until opaque and pink.  You really want to guard against overcooking…rubbery-textured shrimp salad is just not quite the same.

Allow your shrimp to cool and then peel them. If your shrimp are larger than bite-sized, cut them into bite-sized pieces. My medium-sized shrimp were just the right size. The remaining ingredients are so simple, I’m almost embarrassed to call this a recipe, but the simple ingredients allow the texture and taste of the shrimp to shine. They compliment without competing.

To your shrimp, add 1/3 to ½ cup of mayonnaise, to taste. I would recommend using a mayonnaise that you really enjoy because, with these simple ingredients, any off-flavors are more noticeable.  If you make this up in advance, you may find you want to add a couple of extra tablespoons as some of the moisture gets absorbed into the shrimp.  Now, add anywhere from ½ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, to taste. If you had your shrimp steamed with Old Bay at the grocery store, you may want to only add ½ teaspoon. If you are using unseasoned, already cooked frozen shrimp, you probably want the full teaspoon. The Old Bay is a MUST, but add a little at a time until it is just right. Too much Old Bay makes this too salty. Now, add just a few shakes of the pepper shaker (about 1/8 teaspoon), and a squeeze from a fresh-cut lemon (about 1 teaspoon). The lemon adds just the right little bit of freshness.

That’s all there is to it. Serve your shrimp salad on a fresh roll with or on top of a bed of salad.

Enjoy!!

Simple Shrimp Salad

1 lb steamed, medium-sized shrimp

1/3 to ½ cup mayonnaise

½ to 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon fresh- squeezed lemon juice

Combine all ingredients, starting with the lesser amounts listed above and adding more to taste. Chill until ready to serve.  Before serving, check for dryness. If necessary, add 1 to 2 additional tablespoons of mayonnaise.

For the steamed shrimp:

1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup water

½ cup vinegar

1 pound shrimp

In a saucepan or steamer pan, combine the first four ingredients. Bring to a boil. Add shrimp, stirring gently. Cover; steam just until opaque and pink. Drain and peel.

Beth is a stay-at-home mom of three wonderfully active children ages seven, four and one. She is married to Jason V (who also writes for us here at MAD21) and spends her days teaching, changing diapers, sweeping up Cheerios, stepping over Legos, keeping peace among the kids, and enjoying the creative outlet of cooking.

Comments

[Helen]

Sounds delicious!