cookware
- saucepan
- medium bowl
Cook's Illustrated recently published an article on how to poach shrimp, so I use their technique in this recipe. Everything else has been adapted from instructions from my friend's mom. Quantities are estimated so feel free to adjust to your family's preference.
1 | In a saucepan, combine the shrimp, lime juice, lime halves, cilantro stems, peppercorns, a pinch of sugar, a pinch of salt, and enough cold water to cover 1 to 2 inches. |
2 | Warm the pan over medium heat. Stir for about 8 minutes until shrimp is pink and opaque. |
3 | Remove the pan from heat and steep covered for about 2 minutes. |
4 | Transfer shrimp into an ice bath for at least 3 minutes. Shrimp can chill (literally and figuratively) in the water bath until veggie prep is complete. |
5 | Dice the tomatoes, white onion, cucumber, jalapeños, and avocado. Chop the cilantro. |
6 | Combine the shrimp and veggies into a shared serving bowl or into individual bowls. |
7 | Squeeze in some ketchup, then pour on just enough tomato juice to cover the shrimp and veggies. Gently stir to combine and coat. |
8 | Garnish with a squeeze of lime juice and a few shakes of Tapatío. Serve with tostada shells or tortilla chips. |
notes
If making Mexican shrimp cocktail for a party, chill some cubes of tomato juice. These cubes will keep the dish cold without diluting the tomato juice.
The Cook's Illustrated article from which I adapted the poaching technique also stated that frozen shrimp is the way to go since it is frozen at the source. We often buy the individually frozen shrimp so that we can just pull out and defrost what we need. The shrimp needs time to thaw, so remember to defrost the shrimp in the fridge overnight.
Sometimes I skip the poaching altogether and I just buy a bag of the cooked shrimp from Costco and thaw it in the fridge the night before.
The Cook's Illustrated article from which I adapted the poaching technique also stated that frozen shrimp is the way to go since it is frozen at the source. We often buy the individually frozen shrimp so that we can just pull out and defrost what we need. The shrimp needs time to thaw, so remember to defrost the shrimp in the fridge overnight.
Sometimes I skip the poaching altogether and I just buy a bag of the cooked shrimp from Costco and thaw it in the fridge the night before.