MEXICAN SHRIMP COCKTAIL
Serves 6 as a first-course starter, or 4 as a light meal with a salad
Ingredients for the sauce:
-2 tablespoons green olives, chopped
-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
-1/4 cup ketchup
-1/4 cup chili sauce
-2 teaspoons fresh oregano (or ¾ teaspoon dried)
-2 tablespoons parsley, roughly chopped
-1 tablespoon jalapeño pepper, roughly chopped (more if you want more heat)
-1/4 cup fresh lime juice
-1/2 cup Clamato juice (or ¼ cup clam juice; ¼ cup bottled tomato juice)
-½ an eight-inch Anaheim chile roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped; half reserved
(see *Note)
Ingredients for the pico de gallo:
-1 cup tomatoes, seeded and diced
-1/2 cup white onion, diced
-1 teaspoon garlic, minced
-1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
-2 teaspoons minced jalapeño
-1/2 teaspoon salt
Ingredients for the seafood:
-1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
-1/2 reserved Anaheim chile, roasted, peeled, seeded and diced
- 1 pound large shrimp (16-20 count) peeled, deveined, and boiled for two minutes, drained and plunged into cold water; 3 per person as an appetizer, or 5 for a light meal. Substitute medium shrimp if you prefer.
Preparation:
1. Purée the sauce ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into a medium bowl.
2. Add the pico de gallo ingredients to the sauce.
3. Delicately fold in the avocado and shrimp. Spoon into ice cream-sundae or martini glasses and serve with warm tortilla chips.
4. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
*Note: place the chile under the broiler until charred (2-3 minutes per side). Put the chile on a plate and cover with another plate. Wait 5 minutes, uncover and the skin should peel off easily. Slice the chile lengthwise and scrape off the seeds.
*Note: for a light meal, serve a mixed green salad with a bit of crumbled goat cheese alongside the cocktail.
Wine pair: my first choices would be a Rosé, Chablis, or a Chardonnay/Viognier blend that would stand up to and compliment the complex acid and spice in the cocktail. Stay away from heavy oaky Chardonnays or overly minerally whites.
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