Brian Lagerstrom's Shrimp Roll Recipe with Costco Shrimp

Why I Keep Kirkland Frozen Shrimp On Hand.

One of the items I regularly buy from Costco comes from the frozen section: the 2-pound bag of Kirkland Signature Red Argentine Raw Shrimp. They’re a good size, with the head and tail already removed and cleaned. Very versatile when it comes to cooking, and while the cost of seafood — like most other groceries — keeps rising, this frozen product is great to keep stocked in the freezer. It’s also what I reach for whenever I make Brian Lagerstrom’s shrimp roll recipe.

Time permitting, I’ll usually defrost the amount I need the night before in the refrigerator. If I’m in a bind for time, though, I’ll use the cold water method: dropping the frozen shrimp in a bowl of cold water and changing the water every 30 minutes.

Making Brian Lagerstrom’s Shrimp Roll Recipe

The size of the shrimp is nice — big enough to leave whole in a shrimp scampi recipe or a salad, but they can also easily be cut into half-inch pieces for a good-sized bite. That’s the approach I used a few days ago while following Brian Lagerstrom’s shrimp roll recipe. “This shrimp roll tastes like something you’d pay $32 for in Maine, but it comes together in about 20 minutes and for a fraction of the cost of a traditional lobster roll,” says Brian. I’ve got to admit, the price of lobster is well out of my culinary budget at $25–$30 a pound. Following his recipe, I had enough shrimp for five rolls, plus leftovers that I used in Alton Brown’s coleslaw recipe.

Nothing about this recipe is difficult. Brian, like Chef Jean-Pierre, is another excellent cook on camera — he explains each step and offers options or substitutes if you don’t have an ingredient on hand. Some recipes are meant to be made one specific way; his recent Neapolitan Pizza recipe comes to mind. This shrimp recipe, on the other hand, is a bit more forgiving. It calls for chives, but you can easily substitute dill or parsley. Lemon zest isn’t strictly necessary, but it adds a nice acidic bite that helps offset the creamy, fatty goodness of the mayo.

Putting the Meal Together

My initial concern was the buns — a top-split brioche bun isn’t easy to track down, since none of my local stores carry them. I got lucky at Whole Foods and found an 8-pack. I dropped these into a lightly oiled pan to brown before serving. After mixing the shrimp filling, I let it rest in the refrigerator for about 2 hours before serving, but it can just as easily be portioned out and served immediately after mixing.

For dinner, I baked some frozen Kirkland fries and topped them with Old Bay seasoning, rounding out the plate with coleslaw. A very simple and quick meal. Given how hot it’s been lately, this is a recipe I’d happily eat on a regular basis.