PINK SHRIMP SANDWICHES

Chef Justin creates a beautiful open-faced sandwich with Florida avocados and Pink Shrimp hoppers.
Open-Faced Florida Pink Shrimp Sandwiches with Avocado and Pickled Red Onion
Yield 4 Servings
Ingredients:
1 pound medium sized Florida shrimp, peeled
4 slices whole wheat bread Olive oil for cooking Seafood seasoning
1 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, stripped off the stem and chopped fine
6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped fine
1 large Florida avocado, peeled and seed removed
1 small red onion, sliced thin
1/2 cup rice vinegar
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Preparation:
In a small bowl, combine the thin sliced red onion and vinegar. let the red onion mixture marinate for at least 10 minutes.
Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Season the water with two tablespoons of your favorite seafood boil seasoning.
Make an ice bath of ice water in a medium sized mixing bowl.
Place peeled shrimp into the seasoned boiling water. Cook shrimp for two minutes, depending on the size or until they are just cooked throughout.
Remove them from the hot water and place the shrimp in the ice water bath to cool them off completely.
Place the sliced bread on a cookie sheet pan and lightly drizzle them with olive oil and a dash of seafood seasoning.
Toast the seasoned bread slices in the oven on broil, being careful not to let them burn.
Drain or remove the shrimp from the ice bath and then return them to the bowl.
Add 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon seafood seasoning, 1/2 lemon juiced, fresh thyme, and half the garlic. Stir the shrimp mixture to coat. Taste the shrimp and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
​In a small mixing bowl, combine the avocado, 1/2 lemon juiced, the rest of the garlic and a pinch of seafood seasoning.
Mash the avocado mixture to combine, leaving it somewhat chunky if desired. Taste avocado mixture and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
To assemble, spread even amounts of the avocado mixture on top of each of the toasted bread slices. Next, pile an even amount of the shrimp on top of the avocado mixture. Drain off the excess vinegar from the sliced onions and use them to garnish the top of each open faced sandwich.