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Communal Shrimp and Crab Cocktail via Baja

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Makes 6 servings 1x

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup Old Bay
  • 1 small white onion, quartered
  • 2 pounds large unpeeled shrimp
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • About 6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (from 3 to 4 limes), plus more for serving
  • 2 tablespoons tequila
  • 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco, or similar hot sauce, or to taste
  • Pinch of cayenne, or to taste
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pound cooked fresh lump crabmeat
  • 3 or 4 stems cilantro, leaves picked and chopped
  • 3 avocados, halved and pitted
  • Tortilla chips for serving

Instructions

Fill the bottom of a large bowl with ice. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the Old Bay and the onion. Working in batches so as not to overcrowd the pot, add the shrimp and poach them until pink and opaque, about 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the shrimp from the water and transfer them to the bowl of ice. When all the shrimp are cooked, put the bowl in the fridge.

While the shrimp chill, make the cocktail sauce by combining the ketchup, 2 tablespoons of the lime juice, the tequila, and the hot sauce. Season the mix with cayenne, salt, and black pepper, adjusting the flavors as you see fit.

In a small bowl, season the crab with 2 tablespoons of the lime juice and salt and black pepper. Add the cilantro and toss well; taste and add more lime juice or salt and pepper if needed. Season the top of each avocado half with a bit of salt and black pepper and the remaining lime juice (this will also help them from browning) and then spoon the crab mixture into the avocado halves. Serve the shrimp on a tray surrounding the cocktail sauce and alongside the crab-filled avocado halves and tortilla chips.

– Recipe from Peckish: Suggestions for the Sophisticated Snacker