Shrimp and Chorizo Sandwich

- Amanda

I'm either incredibly lazy or just addicted to my laptop. Once I get settled in at the food52 office, I have a hard time breaking from my daily three-part fix -- Twitter, Chartbeat, and my in-box -- to walk more than 5 blocks for lunch. Which is reason 397 why I love our new office. We're close to Taralucci e Vino, Eataly, and a great Korean soup place, and we're just a few steps from 'wichcraft, Tom Colicchio's sandwich chain, where I've tasted nearly everything on the menu. One item that I like to have as a warm-up to the peanut butter creamwich is the shrimp-and-chorizo sandwich with aioli.

Multiple, focused "tastings" have allowed me to decipher the sandwich's ingredients -- shrimp, chorizo, garlic mayonnaise, scallion, and arugula -- and reassemble it in my kitchen. What I've discovered is that the sandwich is extra good if eaten while the shrimp are still warm. My friend Joe, whom I venture to lunch with now and then, says I should write a column called "The Counterfeit Cook" because I'm always studying restaurant recipes to replicate them at home. Thus, the Counterfeit Cook lunch series begins -- like right this minute -- and will be a short series, since i don't want to have to walk too far.

Shrimp and Chorizo Sandwich

Inspired by 'wichcraft in New York City

Serves 2

• 1 pound small or medium shrimp, peeled
• 1/2 cup dried chorizo (I use Palacios), cut into 1/8-inch cubes
  
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 large clove garlic, crushed and chopped
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 small scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 handfuls baby arugula
• 4 ciabatta or kaiser rolls
•  

1. Bring a medium saucepan filled with heavily salted water to a boil. Add the shrimp and turn off the heat. Let the shrimp rest in the water for 3 minutes, then cut into one shrimp to see if it's cooked -- it should be just cooked and still springy. If they're cooked, drain and rinse the shrimp under cold water for 15 seconds (to cool them just slightly). If not, let them continue poaching until cooked through. Slice the cooked shrimp into 1/4-inch pieces.

2. Meanwhile, cut the chorizo -- I like to cut it into quarters lengthwise, and then crosswise into 1/8-inch slices.

3. Make the aioli: in a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, garlic, and lemon (feel free to add more lemon, and salt, if desired).

4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the shrimp, chorizo, scallions, and half the aioli. Fold together. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more aioli as needed.

5. Slice open the rolls. Spoon on the shrimp salad. Top with arugula and the top halves of the rolls. Pack up in your lunch box!