From Scratch

Shrimp Burgers Two Ways

By Sharon LaFleur of Gheewhizz.com

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A beef burger without a bun is somewhat lacking. It tastes great, but it seems like the fun is missing. So I decided to experiment with other burger flavors and since they’re not traditional, the missing bun isn’t missed. In fact, a bun would mute the flavors. I’ve made chicken and sausage gumbo burgers, and Italian meat and sauce burgers (a plate of meatballs and sauce also seems so-so, but patty-sized meat with sauce is just right!) The first seafood burger I made was a combination of halibut and crawfish left over from a visit to Hawks. It was a hit!

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Thai Green Curry Crawfish Burger 

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Halibut is expensive and boiled crawfish aren’t in season, so I came up with two new shrimp versions: Thai Green Curry and Louisiana. Depending on your mood, one or the other will make a lovely weeknight meal or something amazing to serve to guests.

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Shrimp Burger Ingredients – Two Ways 

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On the left are the ingredients for the Thai Green Curry Shrimp Burgers and on the right are the ingredients for the Louisiana Shrimp Burgers. In the final version of the Thai, I decided to skip the sriracha — the patty and sauce are plenty spicy without it.

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The sauce requires a few ingredients, but comes together in minutes. And those flavors are repeated in the patties to amp up the flavor. I chose crisp cucumbers and mellow mango to accompany the burgers and Harris agreed that the two worked nicely with the shrimp and green curry. One ingredient might be hard to find; they’re kaffir lime leaves. But I got them frozen, on Amazon and they last months and months in the freezer. If you’re looking for an ingredient that will send your green curry to the moon and back, this is it.

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But the patties are delicious without them, too. All the bright, spicy flavors in Thai Green Curry always make me feel so good. Once I was coming down with a nasty bug and couldn’t lose time at work. I stopped at our favorite Thai restaurant, Pimon Thai and got an order of green curry chicken on my way home. By morning the bug had been blasted to smithereens and I’ve been a fan ever since. Whenever the girls are coming down with something, they know I’ll always suggest green curry for their ills. Don’t wait until you’re feeling unwell for some though, and who knows? Maybe it’ll keep in the pink!

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Louisiana Shrimp Burger

Not everybody’s down with these pungent flavors. I won’t judge. So I’ve included a variation featuring all the beloved flavors of Louisiana. As I was “shopping” in Harris’s garden for onion tops and a few peppers, I noticed a green eggplant ripe for the picking. This is my very most favorite variety, and it was a welcome addition to the Louisiana party. A ripe heirloom tomato completed the dish.

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Check out the complete recipes here!