shrimp salad

You see this in Mexico a lot and infrequently in authentic Mexican restaurants here in the U.S., usually in tall parfait glasses with shrimp suspended in a red liquid. Ordered as shrimp cocktail, it differs significantly from the dish as it's usually prepared here in the U.S, with shrimp hanging over the rim of a cocktail glass containing a tomato base with horseradish sauce and known familiarly as the red menace. In Mexico, it might be noticed at an adjoining table at a cantina on the beach, and freshly warned about drinking the water, the cautious traveler hesitates. And that's a shame because the cautious traveler misses out on a real treat that much of Mexico has to offer -- seafood fresh off the boats.

Oh well.

Now you can enjoy this treat in the safety of your own home. Impress your friends and guests with your world-traveliness and your brilliant culinary éclat. This is usually served with tortilla chips, but we're leaving them out because we're presently restricting carbs from grain. Therefore, it's served over a bed of lettuce sprinkled with olive oil and drizzled with rice vinegar.

Did you know parfait means perfect in French? Well it does.

* couple pounds cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
* couple cloves crushed garlic
* 1/2 large red onion chopped (or scallions, or leeks)
* lots of fresh cilantro, picked apart, torn, whatever
* 1 1/2 cups Clamato™, or clam juice with diced tomato)
* 1/4 cup tomato paste or tomato pesto, or catsup in a pinch
* juice from one good juicy lime, or two not so juicy limes
* 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste, your choice, Tabasco, Franks, habanero, whatever
* 1/4 cup prepared horseradish or grated horseradish root
* salt
* 1 or 2 ripe avocado

Mix everything. Avocado last and gently. Chill for a few hours.

Consider possible extras.

+ jalapeño finely diced
+ splash of tequila, vodka, as a Bloody Mary.

+ Worcestershire sauce, as a Bloody Mary.
+ cucumber diced
+ diced celery
+ mango diced

Serve with tortilla chips, or on lettuce as a salad.