Cóctel de Camarón (Gulf Coast Shrimp)
Texas has a long stretch of beaches along the Gulf coast region, and my family spent many weekends camping on the coast during my childhood years. We created simple meals with local seafood that we’d season with ingredients from our ice chest. This dish is inspired by combining some of the ice chest ingredients with the beautiful shrimp cultivated in the warm gulf waters along the Texas coast. Try to think of it as an enormous shrimp cocktail with layers of flavor from creamy avocados, tangy lime juice, and finished with bright cilantro and a little heat from jalapeños. Combined with a quirky blend of ketchup and a splash of orange soda, we enjoy it as a meal with a hearty supply of saltine crackers or tostadas. If the idea of combining ketchup and orange soda sounds odd to you, I understand, but it works.
I often make this dish a day ahead to improve the flavor as it sits refrigerated overnight. You’ll simply add the avocado the following day right before serving. If you’re using frozen shrimp, thaw them by placing the shrimp in a large bowl of cold water. Don’t use warm or hot water as this can change the texture of the shrimp. When the shrimp look translucent and you no longer feel any frozen parts, the shrimp are thawed, 10-20 minutes. Drain and proceed with the recipe immediately after the shrimp are thawed. If you’d like to use cooked shrimp instead, you’ll need 5 cups, and you can omit steps 1-3. Whether you have in-season fresh gulf shrimp or frozen shrimp, you’ll enjoy this delightfully sassy dish. You’ll find this recipe and more recipes like this in My South Texas Kitchen cookbook.
Cóctel de Camarón (Gulf Coast Shrimp)
Servings: 6-8
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3 pounds head-and-shell-on large shrimp,
or 2 pounds uncooked, peeled frozen shrimp
salt
2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup orange soda
1/2 cup lime juice
zest from 1 lime
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup onions, thinly sliced
1 cup cilantro, chopped
1 cup cucumber, diced
½cup celery, sliced
1 jalapeño, seeded and sliced
2 avocados, diced
Saltine crackers or tostadas for serving
1. Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice and water.
2. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Let the water rapidly boil for 1 minute. Add the shrimp and simmer until the shrimp are firm, bright pink and cooked through, 2-4 minutes.
3. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the shrimp to the ice bath and stir until the shrimp are cool. When the shrimp are cool, drain and peel them. You should have about 5 cups of cooked shrimp.
4. In a large bowl, stir the ketchup, soda, lime juice, lime zest, cumin, black pepper, garlic powder until well combined.
5. Add the onions, cilantro, cucumbers, celery and jalapeños and stir until well combined. Add the cooled shrimp and stir. Right before serving, add the avocado and stir well. Serve with saltine crackers or tostadas.
