Mexican Shrimp Cocktail

Have you ever noticed that the simplest recipes are the classiest? The GFCF Husband and I are eagerly awaiting the new season of Top Chef Masters, and one of the things you immediately notice on the show is that these chefs — who are nationally-renowned enough that they’re playing not for themselves, but for charity — are serving up shockingly simple dishes. Regular Top Chef contestants are still trying to show off with their pomegranate foam and yuzu gelée, but the Masters have risen above all that.

Which works out nicely for those of us who are lazy and want to pass it off as culinary brilliance.

 

For this simple — I mean, ah, brilliant — shrimp cocktail, we begin with un avocado. If you want to see how to properly pit and cut up an avocado, see here.

 

Also, el tomato.

 

Then add about 3/4 cup of cooked shrimp. I used this package of tiny salad camarones, but full-size ones are cool too, especially if you cook them yourself in a pan to give them those little char marks. Top Chef Masters looove the char marks.

 

Finally, 2 teaspoons of lime juice. Stir it in gently or you’ll mash the avocado, which would make this more like shrimp guacamole.

 

Now, the typical way to serve this sort of thing is with tortilla chips (100% corn, of course,) but if you want to be super, super classy, serve it on thin rounds of cucumber. All of a sudden you’re not serving a dip anymore, but authentic tapas.

 

Feliz comiendo!

 

Mexican Shrimp Cocktail

1 avocado
1 tomato
3/4 cup cooked shrimp
2 tsp lime juice
tortilla chips (optional)
cucumber (optional)