First Mates Crab Stuffed Shrimp

The inspiration for this dish goes back to my youth, when we’d leave Philly for the Jersey Shore, to get a break from the heat. We would normally eat at one of the many seafood restaurants in town, where I’d see a half lobster stuffed with crabmeat ,and baked potato at every table. Instead of lobster I substitute butterfly shrimp and left-over root vegetable mash for the baked potato…I can still smell that salt air in my mind!

Ingredients
1 pound 16-20 count shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 oz crab claw meat chopped
10 crushed saltine crackers
1 egg
4 tbsp homemade mayonnaise divided
2 chopped green onions
2 tbsp grated fresh horseradish
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire
¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
½ lemon
Pinch cardamom
Old Bay seasoning
Leftover root vegetable mash
1 tbsp Parmesan
1 tbsp Romano
2 tbsp panko breadcrumbs

For the crab stuffing combine the saltines, 2 tbsp mayonnaise, green onions (white parts), one egg beaten, grated horseradish, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and crab meat in a large bowl and gently combine.
Split and butterfly the 16 shrimp and place in a lightly oiled glass baking dish. Add about one tablespoon of crab filling on top of each shrimp (even them out at the end) then lightly sprinkle with Old Bay. Place in the oven preheated to 350 °F for 30-35 minutes, broil for about 4 minutes at the end rotating the dish once.
In a lightly oiled baking dish, spoon in a layer of left-over root vegetable mash about 1 inch thick, then cover with Parmesan, Romano cheese and panko breadcrumbs. Place in the 350 °F heated oven for about 12 minutes, then broil for approximately 4-6 minutes, rotating the dish once (until browned). Allow to cool for several minutes then plate with the shrimp.
Whisk together two tbsp of homemade mayonnaise with juice of 1/2 lemon, pinch cardamom, salt, pepper, then spoon over the stuffed shrimp, garnish with green onions.