First Mates Crab Stuffed Shrimp with Root Vegetables
The inspiration for this dish goes way back to my early days, when we’d leave Philly and head to the Jersey Shore, to get a break from the heat. The parents would ultimately head to one of the many seafood restaurants and I’d see a half lobster stuffed with crabmeat, with baked potato, at every table. Instead of a lobster I substitute butterfly shrimp and left-over root vegetable mash for the baked potato while still smelling the salt air in my mind.
The Recipe
- Ingredients: one pound 16-20 count shrimp, peeled, deveined, butterflied; 8 oz. crab claw meat chopped; 10 crushed saltine crackers; 2 eggs; 4 tbsp. homemade mayonnaise divided; 2 chopped green onions; ½ tsp. old bay; 2 tbsp. grated fresh horseradish; 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard; root vegetable mash; 2 tbsp parmesan; 2 tbsp. Romano; ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs; 1/2 lemon; 1 tsp. Worcestershire; Old Bay: pinch cardamom.
- 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.
- Combine another two tbsp of homemade mayonnaise with juice of 1/2 lemon, pinch cardamom, salt, pepper and whisk, spoon over the stuffed shrimp, garnish with green onions.
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