Mexican Shrimp Cocktail Appetizer (Print-Friendly Version)

Chilled shrimp with tomato, cucumber, and avocado in a lightly spicy, tangy tomato sauce. Perfect for gatherings.

# What You’ll Need to Make This:

→ Seafood

01 - 450 g medium shrimp, shell on

→ Aromatics and Poaching

02 - 1 lemon, cut into wedges
03 - 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
04 - 1 tablespoon kosher salt
05 - fresh cilantro stems, reserved from leaves

→ Fresh Produce

06 - 2 medium tomatoes, cored and diced
07 - 1 small cucumber, peeled and diced
08 - 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
09 - 1 small avocado, halved, pitted, and diced
10 - lime wedges, for serving

→ Herbs

11 - 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

→ Liquids and Sauces

12 - 240 ml vegetable juice (such as V8)
13 - 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
14 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
15 - 80 ml ketchup
16 - 1.5 tablespoons fresh lime juice
17 - 60 ml water
18 - 2.5 teaspoons hot sauce (such as Cholula)

→ Seasonings

19 - salt, to taste
20 - freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Serving

21 - tortilla chips

# How to Prepare:

01 - With kitchen shears, cut along the backs of the shrimp shells lengthwise to expose veins. Remove the veins using the tip of a paring knife.
02 - Fill a medium bowl with ice and water to prepare an ice bath for cooling the shrimp.
03 - In a medium pot, combine 2 litres water, squeezed juice and wedges from 1 lemon, black peppercorns, kosher salt, and cilantro stems. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
04 - Add the shrimp to the boiling poaching liquid, cover, remove from heat, and let stand for 3 minutes until the shrimp are just cooked. Transfer shrimp immediately to the prepared ice bath using a slotted spoon. Let cool for 3 minutes, then drain and peel the shrimp, removing tails.
05 - In a medium bowl, mix diced tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, vegetable juice, Worcestershire sauce, fresh lemon juice, ketchup, fresh lime juice, water, and hot sauce until well combined.
06 - Add cooled, peeled shrimp to vegetable mixture. Stir gently to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
07 - Allow the mixture to stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. Fold in diced avocado and chopped cilantro leaves. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Divide between 4 serving glasses and garnish with lime wedges. Serve with tortilla chips.

# Extra Tips:

01 - If using fresh lemon juice for the sauce, reserve an additional lemon beyond that used for poaching.
02 - Shrimp may also be peeled and deveined after poaching, or utilize pre-prepared shrimp as desired. Skipping deveining may result in some grit.
03 - Nutritional values do not account for tortilla chips served alongside.

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