Think of it as a shrimpy guacamole… no, not quite. I saw this dish somewhere (on a television show or cookbook) a while back and thought I would try it sometime when I had the ingredients handy. Brine some shrimp and steam them, then peel and devein. To that add some peeled and cubed avocados and chopped tomatoes. Make a dressing with some greek style yoghurt, chopped dill and a bit of lemon juice. Season generously with salt and pepper. Mix gently and serve chilled.
It was good, but not slam dunk good. I kind of like the tomatoey, sharp flavors of a real shrimp cocktail, and in this case, the creamy avocado kind of muted all of the flavors and made for a slightly odd texture. However, for variety, this is worth a try the next time you find yourself with the ingredients…
15 Responses
Glad your back and writing full steam ahead. Its hard to go a few days without my MM fix. This is pretty much the template of shrimp cocktails served in good Mexican places, minus the yogurt.
i do this fairly often during avocado season, which is right about now, but instead of tomatoes, i use lots of chopped celery and dill, and for the dressing, i use mayo and curry powder. then i serve the shrimp salad on avocado halves.
Is that Baccarat?
The Greek yoghurt killed it. I’ve made dressings in the past and yoghurt always muted and overly rounded the flavours. Yoghurt’s role is best relegated to cooking, muesli, fruity desserts or as a pairing with spicy condiments/dishes.
Here’s a dressing which works for your combo of ingredients: olive oil+lemon juice+dijon grain mustard+balsamic vinegar+chopped shallots+sugar to taste+black pepper+sea salt. Alternatively, season and dress simply with olive oil+ lemon juice, plate it and drizzle a severe balsamic reduction( balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and a touch of soy sauce ) over or around it.
Khew, sharp eyes. :) Yes, the yoghurt was meant to be a healthier option to the mayonnaise or oil based dressing… was trying to be healthy. And it tasted like it. :) Millet, yes, I love the version with curry, and chicken salad with curry too… makes great sandwich filling as well…
Mexican version adds chopped onions, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, Tapatio sauce, and ketchup! ???? Serve on a tostada or tortilla chips – Delish!
Yoghurt is healthier than mayo but it does not blend well with avocado. Use less mayo and it looks like you mixed/stirred the avocado too much which made it on the creamy side. The avocado cubes should hold well with the shrimps. I agree with D….top it over tostada with tequila on the other hand! :)
I’d do this but with the much smaller shrimp: steamed and peeled. I skip the yogurt and smash the living daylights out of a few cubes of avocado, add salt/pepper, chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of lemon. As it is as an appetizer, on a bed of greens with crusty bread for a “nagpapanggap na diyeta” kind of meal. =P
Avocado and yogurt simply don’t mix. Tried them together for the extra calorie boost for hubby and it did not work.:( But I love avocado for its rich essential fatty acid content and use it sometimes to substitute for mayo in a sandwich.
Like ConnieC, I sometimes substitute avocado for mayo – I like it particularly in burgers!
D: I was going to say that I’ve had shrimp/avocado taco before, at ang sarap nya. Yun nga lang with picante sauce; although mayron akong nabili kelan lang ng Salsa mayo dressing.. kaya subukan ko itong dish na ito with the dressing and of course wrapped in mais tortilla.
thanks for sharing this recipe, MM. its simple and delicious
oh, if only you could try the real coctel de camaron served chilled (not so good warm), called ‘campechana’ made by someone from Michoacan, Mexico. Definitely not to most Filipinos liking, tomatoey and cilantroey. lol.
shrimp, avocado, tomato, hint of onion, little cilantro (or a lot), with Clamato tomato juice(it has to Clamato or something close to it), sometimes they add fresh ‘ostiones’ (oysters) and/or pulpo (octopus).
Heavenly!
I make a shrimp, avocado, and mango salad. To those three main ingredients I add a little bit of red onion, season with salt, pepper, cumin, and a squeeze of lime juice. It’s delicious!
Hi,MM. Is there a place I can buy avocados from even if it is no longer in season?
LadyCCV, by nature, NO, when a fruit is out of season, it is out of season. It might be “in-season” elsewhere or grown in greenhouses, but then you would have to buy them imported from those locations. Best to stick to dishes that harness the goodness of whatever produce is IN SEASON at that point in time…