Carolina Shrimp Burger

by Paul Fehribach of Big Jones

Start to finish: 1 hour 45 minutes (45 minutes active)

Ingredients:

8 cups water
1/2 cup carrot, peeled and diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
2 teaspoons celery salt
3 bay leaves
4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

2 pounds peeled and deveined raw Key West pink shrimp, divided

3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup green onion tops, thinly sliced
1 cup sweet corn kernels
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 cups day-old French bread, torn into small bits
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 teaspoons paprika

a little butter, for pan-frying

Directions:
In a 4-quart stock pot, place the water, carrot, celery, yellow onion, peppercorns, celery salt, bay leaves, and two teaspoons of the kosher salt and bring to a rolling boil.

Add one pound of the raw shrimp, remove from heat, and stir constantly until shrimp turn to solid white and pink colors.

Strain through a colander in a clean and sanitized sink. Add a few ice cubes and run cold water over until the shrimp have stopped cooking and are well-chilled. Chop into pea-sized bits and transfer to a small bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.

In a 4-quart mixing bowl, whisk the mayonnaise and eggs to combine. Add the green onion tops, sweet corn, lemon zest, French bread, red pepper, paprika, and remaining two teaspoons of kosher salt and stir.

In a food processor, grind the remaining pound of shrimp until smooth, then use a rubber spatula to transfer to the mixing bowl with the other ingredients. Use the spatula to toss until all ingredients are well combined.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight before cooking.

To cook, form mixture into patty shape, about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup each, and fry in a little butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. A 3/4-inch patty will take about 6 minutes on the first side and three minutes on the second side. Look for an internal temperature of 165 degrees F on a digital food thermometer. Transfer to a platter and hold in a warm oven until ready to serve.