What do you make for Easter dinner when your natural foods market stops selling hams?  Shrimp patties! 

This is a dish we've been making in our home for years.  The natural foods market we shop is in the transition stages of becoming a Whole Foods store.  Well, I guess technically it is already a Whole Foods but there are still new products arrving all the time and still much to be done as far as remodeling the store and such.  To our dismay, this has also meant the disappearance of some products as well because they were items WF does not carry.  Sadly, some of those items were Beeler's products which means no more hams (and on a side note, no more ground sausage either). 

But on to the shrimp patties.......

12oz. to 1lb. of boiled shrimp that has been peeled, deveined, and chopped (I use wild-shrimp instead of farm-raised)

1 organic egg

1 1/2 cups** Italian breadcrumbs (I use fresh organic breadcrumbs and season them with organic dried herbs)

Combine the shrimp, egg, and 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs (remainder will be used for dredging); mix well and set aside.

3 T. organic butter

1/3 cup organic white whole wheat flour

1/2 organic milk

1 tsp. organic lemon juice

1/2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. organic pepper

1/4 tsp. organic paprika

Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat.  Stir in the flour until smooth.  Slowly add the milk and cook until mixture thickens (stir constantly).  Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.  Add to the shrimp mixture and blend well.  Shape into patties and dredge in the remaining 1 cup breadcrumbs.  Fry in oil until golden on both sides (we use organic olive oil).  Remove to paper towels to drain.