The heck with Cinco de Mayo! We had a blast on our Friday evening Seis-OH de Mayo festivities with family coming over to share in the party.
Tres Margaritas were the call of the night, and some spiffy Mexican Seafood Cocktails were on tap for appetizers. World's largest plate de spiced and marinated chicken nachos topped with homemade creme fraiche and guacamole finished us off.
Recipe?
Goodness me, why not.
BilFish's Seafood Cocktail de Mexico
Cocktail
2 cans of Snap-e-Tom (yes it really exists, tomato juice with green chilis)
To taste - various hot sauces (used Chicago Cubs and Amazon)
1 lime - just the juice
to taste - pepper
big handful - finely minced cilantro
1.5lb boiled/seasoned cooked shrimp (or mix in fake crab for contrast). Cut shrimpies in 1/2 if they seem too boisterous
Base
4-5 margarita or big martini glasses
1/2 onion fine dice
1 celery stick chopped fine
1/2 tomato chopped fine, remove seeds
Topper
1 Avacado (sliced into small chunkies)
chili powder (sprinkled for color)
sprigs cilantro (1 or two per glass)
lime wedgies from juiced lime if they look okay
Preparation
(Don't over)cook shrimp in heavily salted water with shrimp boil if you have it and cool in ice water bath
Prepare Cocktail... add tomato juice, lime juice, hot sauces, pepper, and cilantro. Don't overheat with hot sauce, because each serving gets a lot and the heat adds up! Correct for taste.
Add shrimp to Cocktail and put in fridge.
SERVING
In glasses, add celery/onion/tomato chunks to bottom. Add Cocktail.
Add topper: avacado chunks, cilantro sprigs, touch of chili powder, maybe a lime wedgie. Make it look pretty, damnit.
Serve it up with a real margarita to various oohs and aahhs!
Real Margarita?
Sheesh... Okay. Fine.
*** Don't use cheap ingredients***
Prep needs
Shaker
margarita salt
shot glass
crushed ice
Add to shaker:
1 1/3 quality agave tequila (my house is El Mayor Reserve Reposado). The key to look for here is 100% agave. And good taste. About $25/bottle.
2/3 Grand Marnier or Cointreau
1 lemon juice (okay to use ReaLemon)
Shake. Shake.
Pour into salted glass. Add some of the ice if you want.
***Note: after much testing, lime juice on the rim makes for the best sticky factor to create that just-right salted rim
Drink. Slow. Fast. Enjoyably. Howevuh you so desire.
Posted by BilFish at May 10, 2005 07:52 AM