Eva's Kitchen - Eva Longoria Parker [6]
2. Divide the shrimp among 4 to 6 small plates. Pour the remaining butter sauce over each and serve.
ALL ABOUT SHRIMP: SIZING AND COOKING Where I call for shrimp in this book, you’ll see numbers in parentheses after the shrimp weight and size. This recipe, for instance, calls for “1 pound large shrimp (31 to 35 per pound).” The numbers in parentheses are called the “count” and indicate roughly how many shrimp of that size are in 1 pound. Because more general terms such as “small,” “medium,” “large,” and “jumbo” can mean different things depending on where you are, this is a surer indication of what size shrimp I use when I prepare the recipe. It’s often marked on the package or at the fish counter as a hyphenated range, such as “31–35.” It’s fine to use shrimp of a different size if they are all that are available to you; simply adjust the cooking time as necessary.
For recipes that call for cooked shrimp, place the shrimp still in their shells in a large pot of salted water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the shrimp are pink all over, 2 to 4 minutes for small shrimp and 3 to 5 minutes for large shrimp. Drain and rinse in cold water. When they are cool enough to handle, peel and devein the shrimp. Use or eat at once, or refrigerate until needed or for up to 2 days.
dad’s shrimp cocktail
Growing up in the beach town of Corpus Christi, I spent many long hours shrimping, crabbing, and fishing with my dad. I remember my mom frequently asking him, “How on earth am I going to cook all of this?” One way she coped was regular “you-peel-’em” nights, when she would put a couple of enormous bowls of hot, steamed shrimp on the table with many small dishes of Tabasco-infused cocktail sauce. My dad, sisters, and I would happily stay at that table until every bowl was empty.
In Mexico they have their own way of coping with abundant shrimp. No matter where you go, you will find a variation of this traditional appetizer, which is one of my dad’s favorite dishes. He loves Tabasco so much that he usually uses double the amount here! Sweet shrimp and velvety avocado temper the heat of the tangy cocktail sauce. Even if you don’t like it as spicy as my dad does, it should definitely have a little kick. Mexican shrimp cocktail is typically served out of individual small dishes—I like cocktail glasses—and eaten with a spoon.
MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS
1 cup ketchup
Juice of 2 small lemons (about ¼ cup)
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 pound extra small shrimp (61 to 70 per pound), peeled, deveined, cooked, and cooled
4 avocados, pitted, peeled, and cubed
Lemon wedges, for serving
1. In a small bowl, place the ketchup, lemon juice, Tabasco sauce, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Stir until well blended. In a medium bowl, place the shrimp and avocado. Pour the sauce over and gently toss with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until the shrimp and avocado are thoroughly coated.
2. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Divide among 4 to 6 glasses and serve with the lemon wedges.
avocado stuffed with shrimp
As typically Mexican as the previous recipe is, this one is just as typically American, right down to the Miracle Whip, which I have always preferred to mayonnaise. Naturally sweet shrimp is highlighted by a creamy, mildly sweet, tangy dressing and rich, buttery avocado. This is one of my favorite summer appetizers.
MAKES 8 SERVINGS
1 pound small shrimp (51 to 60 per pound), peeled, deveined, cooked, and chilled
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
½ medium white onion, finely chopped
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
¼ cup Miracle Whip or mayonnaise
Juice of ½ lime (about 1 tablespoon)
Kosher salt and ground pepper to taste
4 ripe avocados
1. In a large bowl, place the shrimp, tomato, onion, cilantro, Miracle Whip, and lime juice. Stir gently until well mixed. Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Cut the avocados in half lengthwise and remove the pits. Place one