Mexican Style Shrimp Cocktail

Just as our Brown Sugar and Citrus Cured Salmon has become a tradition at our winter celebrations, this sweet-and-spicy shrimp cocktail based on an octopus recipe from the Rick Bayless cookbook has proved to be an immensely popular item at our parties during the warmer months. The first time we served this dish, our guests finished the entire bowl before E.S. even got to try one shrimp! Also like the cured salmon, this recipe is very simple.

Unlike your traditional shrimp cocktail arrangement – in which cooked shrimp are hung on the edge of a container of cocktail sauce – this recipe calls for the shrimp to be tossed in the sauce ahead of time, which allows the flavors of the sauce to penetrate the shrimp. Don’t add the shrimp to the sauce more than three hours before serving the cocktail, or the shrimp will start to get soft.

Tomatoes charred under a hot broiler, and a large quantity of hot sauce form the base of the cocktail sauce. I prefer Valencia or Cholula brand hot sauce for this recipe, as both have a subtle horseradish kick that compliments the shrimp nicely. Brown sugar and sherry vinegar provide a sweet contrast that balances the spice in the hot sauce.

Using precooked shrimp purchased from your local fishmonger makes this recipe a breeze. Just whip up the sauce in your food processor, chill in the refrigerator, and then toss in the shrimp. It’s that easy. Of course, if you want to cook your own shrimp, that will work too. Either way, be sure to remove all bits of shell and tail from your shrimp.

Serve this shrimp cocktail as part of a buffet in a large bowl, or as a plated first course in small glass bowls, topped with freshly sliced avocado and chopped cilantro.

Mexican Style Shrimp Cocktail

Ingredients

1 red onion, sliced thin
1 pound ripe tomatoes (2 large or 6 plum)
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
¼ cup Mexican hot sauce (such as Valencia or Cholula brand)
2 ½ pounds cooked shrimp, shells and tails removed
1 ripe avocado, cut into small chunks
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro


Instructions

1. Roast the whole tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet about four inches below a very hot broiler until splotchy black and thoroughly soft, at least 5 minutes per side. Remove and cool.

2.While the tomatoes are cooling, set the oven temperature to 425 degrees. Spread the onion and whole garlic cloves on a baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Toss to combine. Place in the oven and roast until richly browned, about 15 minutes, stirring a few times to ensure even browning.

3. Pull the blackened skins off of the tomatoes, and scoop them into a food processor. Pulse several times to chop them into small pieces. Scrape into a medium bowl.

4. Scoop the onion and garlic into the food processor (don’t bother to clean the bowl of the food processor between uses). Pulse until finely chopped and add to the bowl with the tomatoes.

5. Add the sherry vinegar, brown sugar and hot sauce to the bowl and combine with the chopped vegetables. Season to taste with salt (I usually add about 2 teaspoons). Chill the cocktail sauce in the refrigerator.

6. An hour or two before you want to serve the shrimp cocktail, add the cleaned shrimp to the bowl and toss to combine. Try a shrimp to see if the cocktail needs additional salt or hot sauce. Once you are satisfied with the seasoning, return the bowl to the refrigerator.

7. When ready to serve, transfer the shrimp and sauce to an attractive bowl and top with the avocado and cilantro. Alternatively, divide the shrimp and sauce among small glass bowls and top each bowl with a few chunks of avocado and some chopped cilantro. Serve with high quality tortilla chips.

Related: Look at our Chilled Cucumber and Avocado Soup recipe to see how to pit an avocado.

Chilled Cucumber-Avocado Soup with Crab Salad

I love cold soups, especially cold cucumber soup.  It reminds me of hot midday meals in the Caribbean and Mexico.  Of course, eating it at home is pretty good, too.

When I make this dish for guests I want it to transport them the same way it transports me, so I add lots of flavor.  The addition of avocado and coconut milk to pureed cucumber makes the soup creamy-smooth, and adds a pleasant sweetness.  I cut through that sweetness with just enough Thai green curry paste and serrano chile to linger on your palette.  The crab salad, which can be omitted for a vegetarian friendly plate, adds a luxurious element to the dish and compliments the flavors in the soup perfectly.

The soup is best eaten the day after it’s made to give the flavors time to develop.  If your blender is too small to accommodate all of the ingredients (remember to factor the water into your calculation), blend the soup in batches.  It’s worth splurging for jumbo lump crabmeat for this recipe.  The crab is dressed simply, so the relative quality of your product will really show though.

Chilled Cucumber-Avocado Soup with Crab Salad

Ingredients

Cucumber Avocado Soup
2 cucumbers, about 12 ounces each, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 Hass avocados, coarsely chopped
3 teaspoons Thai green curry paste
2 teaspoons sugar
3 teaspoons finely grated lime zest from 3 limes
2 serrano chiles, seeded and chopped
1 13-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
3 tablespoons lime juice from 3 limes
Fine sea salt
Cayenne pepper
Ground white pepper
Siracha (optional)

Crab Salad (Optional)
1 pound jumbo lump crab meat, picked over
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice from 1 lemon
1 tablespoon minced chives
Black pepper

How to Pit An Avocado

Instructions

1. In a blender, puree the cucumbers until smooth.  Add the avocados, curry paste, sugar, lime zest and chile.  Process until blended.  Add 3 1/2 cups of water, the coconut milk and lime juice and process until smooth.  Transfer the soup to a large bowl and season with salt, cayenne and white pepper to taste.  Cover and refrigerate until chilled, or overnight.
2. When ready to serve the soup, place the crabmeat in a medium bowl and add the lemon juice and chives.  Toss gently to combine.  Season with salt, black pepper and cayenne to taste. 
3. Taste and season the now developed flavors of the soup with salt, white pepper, and drops of siracha for added heat (optional--be gentle).
4. To serve, mound a small pile of the crab salad in the center of a wide soup bowl.  Carefully ladle some of the soup around the crab.  The crab should still be visible above the soup.  Don’t’ submerge it.  Repeat with remaining bowls.  Finish the soup with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of freshly ground black pepper.

Tomato and Avocado Ceviche

You can use almost any whitefish in this recipe, though we've had very good success with halibut. Other fish suggestd include tuna, salmon, sea bass, sole, sea scallop and shrimp. The recipe suggests thin fish such as sole, flounder or tilapia as easy because they do not need to be cut width-wise (which should be no thicker than 1/3 inch for even cooking). The important part is to keep the pieces of fish approximately the same size cubes so that they cook in the citrus at the same rate. Because we are essentially cooking the fish with the acid from the citrus and not applying any heat, it's important to use fresh (from the store that day, not frozen, etc) fish and fresh lemons and limes. The brightness of the lemons and limes are the key to the flavor of the dish. Don't worry, it cooks, and will turn opaque to prove it. You actually can overcook things with citrus, so don't leave it in the marinade too long.

Be sure to pat all seafood dry with paper towels so that any moisture does not water down the marinade. To prep in advance, you can mix all the citrus marinade ingredients together (jalepeno, red pepper, garlic, lemon, lime, etc.) in one bowl, the cut seafood in another, and the added veggies minus avocado (scallions, cilantro, cherry tomatoes, oil, and sugar) in another. When it is time to start marinating, add the fish to the citrus. Add the avocado just before serving to prevent it from breaking down, turning brown, or making everything green. This will serve a generous 4 portions for a first course or a smaller 6 portions.

Tomato and Avocado Ceviche

Ingredients

1 pound extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), large sea scallops, skinless fish fillets, or a combination

1teaspoon grated lime zest from 1 lime

1/2cup juice from 4 limes

1/2cup juice from 4 lemons

1small red bell pepper , stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine

1-2 jalapeno chile (small), stemmed, seeded, and minced

1 medium garlic clove , minced or pressed through a garlic press

Salt

1/4cup extra-virgin olive oil

4-6 scallions , sliced thin (about 1 small bunch)

1cup cherry tomatoes , quartered

3tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves

1/2teaspoon sugar

1 ripe avocado , pitted and diced fine

Ground black pepper

Instructions

1. If using shrimp, peel them completely, devein, and slice each shrimp in half lengthwise using a paring knife (through the deveined groove in the back). If using scallops, remove the side tendon and slice into 1/3-inch-thick rounds. If using fish, remove any bones and slice into 1-inch squares about 1/3 inch thick.

2. Stir the lime zest, lime juice, lemon juice, bell pepper, jalapeno, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a medium bowl. Gently stir in the seafood, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until the seafood is firm, opaque, and appears cooked, 45 to 60 minutes, stirring halfway through the marinating time.

3. Place the mixture in a fine-mesh strainer, leaving it a little wet, then return to the bowl. Gently stir in the oil, scallions, tomatoes, cilantro, and sugar followed by the avocado. Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.