Chef notes

The Lowcountry Gullah Islands offer a legacy of Africa and the Caribbean on the doorstep of the American South, and their culinary and social richness can't be captured in any one thing — which is why, instead of trying that, we take inspiration from their cuisine and fly off to Asia.

Ingredients

Pickled Cabbage Slaw

1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1½ cups water
4 tablespoons kosher salt
1 bird's eye chili, seeded and minced

1 carrot, cut into thin matchsticks
1 daikon radish, cut into thin matchsticks
2 cucumbers, cut in half and sliced into thin half moons
1/2 head savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons minced cilantro

Shrimp Burgers

2 pounds shrimp, peeled, deveined and divided
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 medium eggs
1 bird's eye chili, seeded and chopped
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup panko
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)

1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped scallions
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 potato slider buns
Pickled Cabbage Slaw (recipe above)
1 handful cilantro leaves, to garnish

Preparation

For the Pickled Cabbage Slaw:

Whisk together the vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, water, salt and chili in a large bowl. Whisk until the salt and sugar are completely dissolved; set aside.

In a non-reactive container, toss together the carrots, radish, cucumbers, cabbage and cilantro.

Pour the brine over the vegetables and cover. Refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 1 week. The slaw will become more pickled as it rests.

For the Shrimp Burgers:

Place 1½ pounds of the shrimp into a food processor. Add celery, eggs, chili pepper and soy sauce, and pulse until there is a mix of finely minced and coarsely chopped pieces of shrimp, about five 5-second pulses.

Gently fold the panko, lemon zest, parsley and scallions into the shrimp mixture to combine. Chop remaining 1/2-pound shrimp into 1/2-inch pieces and fold into the mixture. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Shape mixture into 6 (five ounce) balls.

Heat 1½ teaspoons oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until oil begins to shimmer. Place 3 shrimp balls in pan, flattening with a spatula to 1/2-inch thickness. Reduce heat to medium and cook until the edges turn pink and the burger looks golden, about 3-4 minutes. Turn over and cook 3 minutes, or until done. Repeat with remaining oil and shrimp balls.

To serve:

Place the burgers on the potato buns, add Pickled Cabbage Slaw and cilantro, and serve.