Cóctel de Camarones (Mexican Shrimp Cocktail)

Ingredients:

1 pound medium shrimp shell on

1 lemon cut in to wedges (recipe note #1)

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 tablespoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves stems reserved

2 medium tomatoes cored and diced

1 small cucumber peeled and diced

½ small red onion finely chopped

1 cup vegetable juice such as V8

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon lemon juice ideally fresh

⅓ cup ketchup

1 ½ tablespoons fresh lime juice plus lime wedges for serving

¼ cup water

2 ½ teaspoons hot sauce such as Cholula

1 small avocado halved, pitted and diced

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

tortilla chips for serving

Instructions:

With kitchen shears, cut through shells along the backs of the shrimp lengthwise, just deep enough to expose veins.

Remove veins with the tip of a pairing knife. (See recipe note #2 for other deveining options)

In a medium bowl, prepare an ice bath for shrimp.

To a medium pot add 2 quarts water, lemon wedges (squeeze juice out into pot as well as adding wedges), peppercorns, kosher salt and reserved cilantro stems; bring to boil over medium-high heat.

Add shrimp and cover; remove from heat and let stand 3 minutes, until just cooked through.

Transfer with slotted spoon to ice bath. Let shrimp stand in ice bath 3 minutes; remove and peel shrimp including tails.

Meanwhile in a medium bowl combine tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, vegetable juice,

Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, ketchup, lime juice, water and hot sauce.

Add cooked, peeled shrimp and stir to combine; cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.

When ready to serve, remove shrimp cocktail from refrigerator and let stand for 10 minutes at room temperature.

Stir in avocado and cilantro; season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in 4 individual cocktail glasses or goblets with tortilla chips and lime wedges if desired.

Notes:

If you want fresh lemon juice for the sauce, you’ll need a second lemon.

The method I’ve described for deveining shrimp before poaching is my preference, but you have other options. You can peel and devein the cooked shrimp after you remove them from the ice bath; buy shell-on shrimp that have the backs split and the vein removed (Costco sells frozen wild shrimp that are prepared this way.), or skip deveining as many recipes instruct (you may end up with a little bit of grit in your shrimp, but then again you may not!).

Note that nutrition information does not include tortilla chips.

Nutrition: