Shrimp Cocktail Salad Roll

There are only a few foods that I get cravings for, that until I give in, it just does not go away.
Shrimp cocktail is one of those dishes but not any shrimp cocktail. It has to be a certain way or it doesn't get eaten. Most of the time I give up and just make it myself, I am that fussy.

I have come short of informing my in-laws that unless they give up on that ring of tiny shrimp with a bowl of watered down cocktail sauce they insist on serving at every family gathering, I will make my own and bring it. The Nudge felt the same way but he came right out and told his sister....STOP PLEASE

Luckily she agreed and now she buys the fresh large shrimp ring with the not half bad cocktail sauce.

When I make it, I do it kicked up. Jumbo shrimp (fresh caught), sprinkled with Old Bay and BAM and roasted in a very hot oven on top of lemon slices sprinkled with sea salt, pepper and olive oil.
A mere 8 minutes later, they emerge from the oven crispy crunchy salty sour spicy and oh baby, perfect.
The cocktail sauce is extra spicy with horseradish, chili-garlicy and freshly lemonized.

On a hot summers afternoon, there is nothing better right before dinner with a more than it should be ice cold dry Sauvignon Blanc.

I guess I am in stealth crave mode because I found shrimp cocktail on the menu and after I thought about it for a few minutes, I decided to keep it there but play with the delivery system and turn it into a lobster roll. I was off and running.

We all know a true lobster roll is fresh lobster, mayonnaise, maybe some finely minced celery (for crunch) served on a top split hot dog roll that is brushed with melted butter on both sides and toasted in a cast iron skillet till crunchy good. Think about it, the warn buttery toasted roll filled with a crunchy ice cold shrimp salad that is spicy, sweet, sour and salty. What's not to love about that?

Not ever making a lobster roll before, one thing I know you have to do and there is no going back...
you must brush the rolls on all sides with butter. Butter substitutes will work well here as long as you toast them immediately after. The only other thing I could think of was to use a butter flavored spray but I was not taking the chance the rolls would taste like fake butter. What I did find out, is that if you use a really good pastry brush you can get away with using a mere tablespoon of melted butter (1 teaspoon each) and well worth the extra 100 calories for the flavor alone. We'll reveal the nutritionals at the end of this post.

Shrimp Cocktail Salad Rolls
makes 4
Roasted Shrimp:
* 1/2 pound fresh x-large shrimp
* 2 tablespoons minced celery
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
* 2 teaspoons Old Bay
* 2 teaspoons Creole Rub (BAM)
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1/2 lemon, sliced

Dressing:
* 1/4 cup lite mayonnaise
* 1 tablespoon horseradish sauce
* 1 teaspoon Creole mustard
* 1 tablespoon Thai Chili sauce
* 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
* salt & pepper

* 4 split top hot dog rolls, sides trimmed
* 1 tablespoon both butter & olive oil
* Red leaf or Boston lettuce leaves

1. Clean shrimp and sprinkle with the Creole rub and the Old Bay. Place them in a sheet pan and drizzle olive oil evenly on the shrimp. Season with salt & pepper.
2. Heat oven to 400° and place the lemon slices amongst the shrimp and roast for 8 minutes. Remove and cool.
3. Chop the shrimp and add them to a bowl, along with the celery and tomatoes.
4. Mix the dressing together and pour over the shrimp salad.
5. Butter sides of hot dog rolls and toast in a non stick frying pan until golden brown. Repeat on both sides.
6. Place a few lettuce leaves on the rolls and scoop 1/4 of the salad onto each roll.
7. Serve with baked potato chips or cole slaw.