Broiled Shrimp Burgers with Spicy Sauce

By the Sea, By the Beautiful Sea

It’s beach season and I am having recurring thoughts of warm sand squishing between my toes and, of course, an icy cold beverage in my hand while relaxing on a sun soaked beach.

Currently me feeling the sand on my feet and sun in my face is in jeopardy as we await the arrival of Hurricane Isaias.  This is much later in the summer than we have ever gone and hurricanes are the reason why, as hurricanes and jellyfish threaten beaches in late summer.  It’s been torturous waiting for this week and now, wouldn’t you know it, Isaias is heading our way. After the last 6 months of upheaval I shouldn’t be surprised that this obstacle has threatened our beach vacation.

Well, no sense in worrying about things out of my control. Let’s talk about dinner instead.

One of my favorite things about the beach is eating super fresh seafood.  We don’t fish so I buy it from a stall on Hatteras Island, or we go out to dinner and order the catch of the day.  I have been wondering if that great restaurant at the Avon pier, Pangea Tavern, will be open.   I remember it as the best restaurant we have been to in all the years we have been vacationing on Hatteras Island.

Last year’s  vacation was memorable for me because we checked into so many coffee shops along highway 12 and it was our first vacation without Kai. Unfortunately, we will be missing Kai again this year. He is training in Australia this summer and, if the number of times he has called since beginning his training is any indication, he’s likely not missing us at all.

At home we eat seafood probably more often than the average American, but there are a couple reasons I make it less often than meals with meat.  One reason to steer clear of the fish counter is that you need to be sure the fish is very fresh.  It should not look spongey or appear flaky and it absolutely should not smell. If you can smell it, you should turn around and head for the beef or chicken.

Frozen fish is not always a sure thing either. Oftentimes it turns out waterlogged, bland and not worth the trouble.  Frozen shellfish on the other hand usually turns out pretty decent.  I buy huge sea scallops at Lidl, a German owned discount chain supermarket, and use those every time I make Seared Sea Scallops in Sriracha Glaze.  Scallops are so easy because they take just minutes in a sauté pan, flipping just once, and they are done. Voila!

Which leads me to the second reason I don’t make fish as often as I would like: I do not feel totally comfortable cooking it.  I find fish to be a bit tricky to get just right. The more often I cook fish the more comfortable I become, as with anything that requires some practice. But, if you find yourself hesitant to cook fish just as I am, I am happy to let you know that there are ways around it.

I feel totally comfortable mixing fish or shellfish into a cake or patty.  I have looked back at my blogs and discovered I have so many of these types of recipes and do you know why?  Because it is so easy to mix whatever ingredients you have on hand and squash it all into a patty.  Anyone can do it!

Mix up bits of seafood with a little seasoning, form a patty and you have delicious crab cakes for your guests or succulent salmon patties for the family. Why not shrimp burgers?

Burgers and patties are easier on the wallet than filets and will go a lot farther if you have a large family or you are serving a crowd.  Seafood patties are easy to prepare ahead of time and quick to cook, making them perfect for those busy nights when you need dinner fast or you have a large gathering and want to impress folks. They take just minutes on the grill or under the broiler. If you don’t have either of those then a sauté pan or griddle will do.  Just don’t forget the sauce!

Next time you are in the mood for seafood give these shrimp burgers a try and be sure to whip up a batch of spicy remoulade.  Leave a comment and let me know which you prefer: crab cakes, salmon patties or shrimp burgers.

P.S.  We just discovered our beach vacation is a no go–Dare County has issued a mandatory evacuation order.  I guess we will be making hamburgers on the grill in the backyard (maybe s’mores to go with ’em).

Ho hum.