Sammich Saturday: Crispy Shrimp Sandwiches

Hello, and happy Saturday!! I hope the weather in your neck of the woods is better than here in cold, rainy Central Texas. Not only am I ready for warm, sunny weather, but the change from near-80 degree weather one day to 40 and rainy the next makes me a little crazy! It's a good thing that my plan for this weekend is to stay inside and catch up on some much-needed cleaning and cooking!

What do you have planned for this weekend? I hope it's sunny and warm, and you get to go out and enjoy the sunshine! C'mon Spring! Oh, and don't forget that tonight we set our clocks forward and hour...at least that will give us a bit more daylight each evening. Now, onto the delicious sandwich pictured above. Shortly after I decided to start Sammich Saturdays, I ran across this amazing sandwich on How Sweet It Is, and I immediately put in on my food calendar. Shrimp, avocado, bacon, cripsy bread...what more could a girl ask for?? Well, besides warm weather and sunshine, of course ;)

This is one of those sammiches that seems a bit fancier than your normal sandwich, but doesn't take much more effort than slapping a few pieces of lunchmeat and cheese between plain ol' bread. So, really there is no excuse not to reward your mouth with the amazing flavors!! I do recommend that you either toast your bread really well, or buy a bread that is a little bit more firm. I used regular sub rolls and lightly toasted them, and wished it had been a bit more toasted. Now, I don't like hard breads of any kind (imagine me in France trying to get around the crispy baguettes...) but because the ingredients in the sammich are mostly very soft, a teeny bit of crispness to the bread brings it all together! I devoured mine nonetheless and it was one of the most amazing things I have eaten in awhile. So, get into that kitchen and whip one up for your Saturday lunch!! Go!

Crispy Shrimp Sammich

Source: How Sweet It Is

Ingredients

• 1 pound of peeled and deveined raw shrimp
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3 slices bacon
• 1/2 avocado, chopped
• lettuce for garnish
• 4 sandwich rolls/breads/buns of choice, preferably toasted
• Parmesan Tarragon Mayo  (recipe below)

Preparation

1. Combine flour, paprika, garlic and chili powder in a large bowl and mix. Set aside.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add bacon and cook until golden and crispy. Remove and let drain on a paper towel. Do not turn off heat.
3. Quickly salt and pepper the shrimp, the toss in the flour mixture.
4. Add shrimp to the skillet in batches and cook until golden, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove and let drain on a paper towel.
5. Combine shrimp, avocado and crumble the bacon into a bowl and lightly mix to create a sticky “salad” of sorts. Spread bread of your choice with parmesan mayo, garnish with lettuce, then stack on the shrimp.  

Parmesan Tarragon Mayonnaise
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons freshly chopped tarragon

Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix thoroughly. Spread on sandwiches. Can be refrigerated for up to 5 days in an air-tight container.