Smokey Shrimp Burgers with Fried Oysters

It's hard not to feel a little left out this time of year. You get invited to a barbecue and you know that there will be very little for you to eat. Potato salad is a wonderful thing, but it's not going to soak up the bottle of rosé you'll consume over the course of the afternoon. And, look, I totally get it. Burgers and hot dogs and chicken are cheap and easy to throw together. Some grilled veggies will make their way into the mix to give the vegetarians their fix. But most people are nervous about serving fish to a crowd. How do you prepare it? Will people eat it? Is it going to weird folks out?

I think most will get behind any kind of burger. On a hot summer day, who doesn't want to chow down on a big, messy sandwich while swigging from an ice cold beer? Which brings me to my point: seafood burgers are just as wonderful as the beef variety. Take, for instance, this shrimp burger. The patty is a combination of shrimp, grated apple and onion, some salt and pepper, and, for smokiness, a couple teaspoons of Chipotle Tabasco.

One might say I went a little overboard with the fried oysters, avocado, and mayo. But, really, when it comes to burgers, can you really go too far? No. The answer is no. Always.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Tabasco. Over the course of the year, I will be creating recipes featuring the Tabasco Family of Flavors and this is the first of those posts. All opinions expressed on my site are my own.

You can check out my recap from my trip to visiting Tabasco here.

Smokey Shrimp Burgers with Fried Oysters

Yield 4 shrimp burgers

Ingredients For the shrimp burgers 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 egg white 1 tablespoon grated onion 1 tablespoon grated apple 1.5 teaspoons Kosher salt .25 teaspoons black pepper 3 teaspoons Chipotle Tabasco 1 teaspoon chopped cilantro 1/3 cup bread crumbs Canola oil

For smokey mayonnaise 1/2 cup mayonnaise (we're a fan of Duke's) 1.5 teaspoons Chipotle Tabasco

For fried oysters 8 oysters, shucked and liquid drained 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon Kosher salt .75 teaspoons cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 4 cups vegetable oil, for frying

Burger toppings 1 avocado, sliced Mixed greens 4 hamburger buns or English muffins, lightly toasted or grilled

Directions

For the shrimp burgers

1. Coarsely chop half the shrimp and set aside.

2. In the bowl of a food processor, add the remaining shrimp, egg white, grated onion and apple, salt, black pepper, and Chipotle Tabasco and pulse until there's a mixture of finely minced pieces with a couple of coarsely chopped pieces. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the chopped shrimp, bread crumbs and cilantro, until thoroughly combined.

3. For each burger, take 1/3 cup of the mixture and form into four, 1 inch thick patties (roughly 4 inches round). At this point, you can cook them immediately or wrap and freeze for later use.

4. Set a large skillet with a tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Cook the burgers 3-4 minutes on each side until they have browned and the edges turn pink. If all the patties don't fit in the skillet, repeat with remaining burgers.

For the fried oysters

1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, cayenne pepper, and smoked paprika. Add the oysters to the flour mixture and toss until evenly coated.

2. Pour vegetable oil in a large, deep saucepan so it comes up 3 inches. Heat the oil to 360 degrees F.

3. Using a large slotted spoon, carefully place the oysters in the oil. Cook until golden brown, approximately 4-5 minutes. Line a plate with two layers of paper towels. Remove the oysters using the slotted spoon and transfer to the paper towel.

For the smokey mayo

1. In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise with the Chipotle Tabasco.

To assemble the burgers

Spread the smokey mayo on both halves of the buns/English muffins. Place the shrimp burger on top of the bottom half, followed by the avocado, greens, and fried oysters and remaining half of bun.

Garlicky Broccoli Rabe with Almonds and Fried Capers

I attribute my tolerance for bitter foods with my early experiences eating broccoli rabe.  Served next to some chicken or tossed with pasta and cheese, it was one of the vegetables I requested the most when we went to the store. There's something to be said for its abnormal shape, which, compared to the peas and carrots that often graced our table, seemed exotic to us.  But it was the flavor that stuck with me. Even after it was cooked in olive oil and garlic and seasoned with salt, the sharp bite remained prevalent. Those are the foods that I love... where the flavors change as you consume it. It's why I so enjoy things like dandelion greens or arugula. Unlike other greens, these have a lasting impression.

And, yet, it's been years since I've prepared broccoli rabe. It wasn't until I opened Tara's fabulous book, Seven Spoons, and came across her version (which paired it with a delicious bagna cauda, a buttery, garlicky, anchovy sauce) that I was inspired to pick some up. While I sat at our table, stabbing at spears of rabbini, I posted a prep shot on Instagram and Tara and I bonded over our mutual appreciation for bitter greens. It's nice to know that we could connect over this dish. I have a feeling others could fall for this dish, even with the subtle, lingering bite.

Garlicky Broccoli Rabe

Source Inspired by Tara O'Brady's Seven Spoons: My Favorite Recipes for Any and Every day

Yield Serves 4 as a side

Ingredients 2 bunches broccoli rabe, tough stems trimmed 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped Kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed Olive oil 1 teaspoon lemon zest 1/8 cup sliced almonds

Directions

1. In a pot, bring 3 quarts of salted water to a boil. Add broccoli rabe and cook, uncovered, until tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and then run broccoli rabe under cold water, to stop it from cooking. Drain and squeeze out excess water.

2. Dry the capers with a paper towel. In a sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. After 20 seconds, add the capers. Cook, stirring often with a spoon, until browned evenly. This may take up to 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towel to drain and cool.

3. Using the remaining oil in the skillet, heat the pan over medium heat. Add the broccoli rabe and season with 1/2 a teaspoon of salt. After a minute, stir in chopped garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for another 4 minutes.

4. Transfer broccoli rabe to a serving bowl and toss with sliced almonds and fried capers. Taste for seasoning and, if necessary, add a small sprinkle of salt on top (though the capers may do the trick). Before serving, add lemon zest.

Herb and Za'atar Falafel

Some quick thoughts and links to start the week:

1. Two beautifully written books are a must for fans of food memoirs. Over the weekend, I finished Three Many Cooks by my friends Pam, Maggy and Sharon. It's a gorgeous look at the role that food has played in their lives. These stories, all of them written with honesty and a generous dose of humor, have given me so much insight into their backgrounds. Similarly, Ashley Rodriguez's book, Date Night In, shows that cooking and eating (and drinking) can strengthen one's relationship with their partner. Each contain wonderful recipes that reflect their passion for cooking for the ones they love.

2. For some non-food related reading, I highly recommend last year's The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace. Growing up in a predominantly white, middle-class neighborhood, my knowledge of what it was like living in the poorer areas of New Jersey came from what I saw on the news. This book paints a very detailed portrait of a young man from Orange, NJ, who would ultimately attended Yale, though it's about so much more than that. In addition, there's an episode of This American Life and a New York Times article that cover similar topics. Both are worth checking out.

3. This article about people allowing dogs to sleep in bed with them made me chuckle. This our life.

4. Can't stop listening to this song. And this song.

5. We're hooked on the new Netflix program, Chef's Table. I'm ready to make reservations at all of these.

Herb and Za'atar Falafel

Yield 12 falafel

Ingredients

For the falafel 2-15 oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves 2 tablespoons za'atar 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper 2 tablespoons chickpea flour (or all-purpose flour) 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1/4 cup grated carrot

For the tahini dressing 1 cup tahini2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt 1/4 cup lukewarm water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Using a tablespoon of oil or cooking spray, grease the aluminum foil.

2. In the bowl of a food processor, add the mint and parsley and pulse until finely chopped. Add the chickpeas, za'atar, cayenne pepper, chickpea flour, salt and olive oil to the bowl and blend for 20 seconds.  Transfer to a separate mixing bowl and fold in the grated carrot.

3. Roll the mixture into falafel balls and place on the prepared baking sheet.

4. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes, making sure to rotate every 3 minutes to ensure the falafel browns evenly.

5. While they're baking, make the tahini dressing by whisking together the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. Whisk in the water. Serve falafel with tahini dipping sauce.