Marinated Shrimp in Avocado Halves
Submitted by greenman
Marinated shrimp piled into ripe avocado halves with pickled jalapeño, sweet onion, and a zippy lemon-vinegar bath. A no-fuss Mexican-inspired starter that’s bright, cool, and creamy.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
15 minREADY
6 hrsThis is one of those starters that punches way above its prep time. The shrimp get a quick sear with onion and garlic (which you discard, having done their flavoring job) before swimming in a tangy marinade of vinegar, lemon juice, and mustard.
A few hours in the fridge lets every bite soak up that bright, briny punch, so by the time you spoon the shrimp into the avocado halves, the contrast does all the work. Cool buttery flesh, snappy chilled shrimp, the gentle heat of pickled jalapeño, and a scatter of fresh tomato on top.
Chef Tips
- Don’t skip the chill time. The marinade needs at least 4 hours to penetrate the shrimp properly. Overnight is even better.
- Cook the shrimp just until they curl into a loose C and turn pink. A tight O means they’re overdone and will turn rubbery in the marinade.
- Cut the avocados just before serving and brush the cut surfaces with a little of the marinade to keep them from browning.
- Use medium shrimp (about 41 to 50 count per pound) so they fit neatly in the avocado wells without overflowing.
Variations
Ingredients
Directions
Thaw shrimp if frozen.
In a bowl combine vinegar, lemon juice, salt, mustard and pepper and set aside.
In a medium skillet, cook the shrimp, half of the onion slices and the garlic in hot oil over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes, or just until shrimp are done, stirring occasionally.
Remove onion and garlic with a slotted spoon and discard.
Add shrimp and the remaining oil to the vinegar mixture in the bowl, along with remaining onion slices and the jalapeno pepper.
Cover and chill for several hours or overnight, stirring occasionally.
Lift the shrimp, onion slices and jalapeno pepper from the marinade and spoon into the avocado halves.
Sprinkle with the chopped tomato and drizzle some of the remaining marinade over all.
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