Coctelés Mariscos

My newest niece is a wonderful young girl. She has been a treasure and a very welcome addition to our family. You can read about her a bit here...

Asking For Vision (Day 1) Asking for Vision (Day 2) Asking for Vision (Day 3)  Asking for Vision (Day 4)

My niece is spending the night with me while my sister works a double shift at the prison hospital. It's the strangest thing. See, all California state employees are given furlough days as a cost cutting measure, the health care in the prison system is in federal receivership because of crappy care to the point of being considered cruel and unusual. There are federally set guidelines that specify the ratio of nurses to patients that must be met. When someone is on a furlough day the numbers in the wards don't change. After cutting folks hours back to cut costs they then have to hire others to come in on overtime at time and a half to meet the minimum staffings. Which, to my thinking says that this cost cutting measure actually increases costs by half again. I guess the hotshot accountants who dreamed that shit up must have started working in the state budget office after the collapse of Enron and Lehman sent them looking for work.

She asked if we could make Shrimp Cocktail Mexicali style.  Since I'm a mushball who finds it next to impossible to refuse any indulgence with her I said "Sure."  She's very proud of being able to learn how to cook.  She's already gotten pretty good.

As every good cook knows, the first step is washing hands.  The veggies are in a lukewarm water bath, both as a cleaning soak, but also as a crisping.  The assembly of this goes pretty quick, the secret and soul of the dish is in having good, fresh ingredients which will be presented simply and boldly.

Limes are quartered.

Celery diced small.

Bell peppers, cucumbers (seeded), about two pounds of shrimp, deveined, peeled, and quick boiled then iced, pineapple, mango, and avocado all diced up and ready to go.

If you can't find Clamato, any good tomato juice with a cup of clam juice added to each quart will do nicely.  Tapatio is essential.
Traditionally this is served in a tall glass.

Peace. Out.

Comments

[litbrit]

Oh my goodness, I am going to make this dish. It reminds me of different ceviches I've had in Guatemala, Honduras, Miami, and even Sarasota, where there's a great Peruvian restaurant. I love how every region has its own special flavors and unique seafood components. The one in Guatemala contained pieces of lightly-steamed Robalo, a river fish I've never eaten anywhere else.

Your niece is gorgeous, by the way, and so grown-up in her handling of those big sharp things (I've got Son Two and One fairly confident with knives and flames, but Son Three is still a bit of a wild child, meaning, I don't quite trust him to not run up to his brothers wielding my 12" blade, testing to see how much Alpha Dog conferring factor it has.)

[tata]

Does ma'mselle love shrimp now? It's positively thrilling to watch her blossom so.

[kathy a.]

this looks delicious! your neice is adorable, and quite the chef, too.

[minstrel hussain boy]

for those who are still alcohol indulgers, and do not construe this for any kind of knock on that, just 'cause i can't don't mean anyone else needs to, the liquid from these is called "leche de tigre" and is a very popular cure for la cruda (hangover), most joints will pour you a double shot of it gratis.