Shrimp cocktail with avocado and Golf sauce

– A timeless appetizer

How could I ever forget the many times I enjoyed a shrimp cocktail in Lima’s restaurants? Light,
healthy, beautiful, and of course delicious, this appetizer has always been one of my favorite things to
order when I’m in town. The creaminess of the avocado, the silkiness of the colorful sauce, and the
freshly caught and cooked shrimp, all contribute to the pleasurable experience of eating this dish. Even
better if the weather is hot or you are at the beach, but any time of the year is good for this classic of
Peruvian gastronomy, which is not Peruvian per se, but we have adopted as ours with deep passion.
When I was a kid in Nicaragua, my grandfather used to bring us huge bags of shrimp directly from the
fishermen’s boats, and I was always impatient for my mother to cook the precious seafood, and didn’t
stop eating until my stomach was about to burst. That was a feast! Later, when I moved to Peru, I
discovered the incomparable treasure of fish and seafood they had, and my love for shrimp only grew.
The best shrimp in the country come from the cold rivers of Arequipa. If you prefer, you can replace the
shimp with langoustines.

Throughout the years I have tried many recipes, and eaten insurmountable amounts of shrimp in
countless ways. I have got to say that to this day, I consider this simple and very easy to make shrimp
cocktail as one of my favorite in the world. A matter of taste, perhaps, but why don’t you try it and
decide for yourself?

As you can see in the recipe below, preparing this cocktail is no rocket science, but in order to be
successful at it you most definitely need to avoid any pre-cooked kind of shrimp sold at supermarkets,
and buy them fresh instead. Peel them carefully, discard the black vein running through the back of the
shrimp, and poach them in a saucepan filled with boiling salted water for only 3 minutes or until they
turn pink. If they are cooked beyond this point they will be overcooked and will get a tough, rubbery
texture.

What we know as “Golf sauce” is the easiest thing in the world to make: simply combine mayonnaise,
ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, a few drops of Brandy(or Pisco!), and season to taste, if needed. This
sauce is also perfect to serve with fish fritters, calamari, avocado salad, and many other Peruvian
dishes.

Last but not least, garnish each cocktail portion with hard-boiled eggs cut in fourths, or better yet, quail
eggs, some scallops, or palm hearts slice
Shrimp Cocktail
Author: Peru Delights
Recipe type: Appetizer
Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 3 mins
Total time: 33 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients

 1 pound shrimp
 4 shrimp with heads (for garnish)
 ½ cup mayonnaise
 2 tablespoons ketchup
 1 teaspoon Worcestershire
 1 teaspoon Brandy (optional)
 2 avocados
 Curly parsley

Instructions

1. Wash the shrimp under cold running water. Peel and discard the peels.
2. With a very sharp knife make a cut along the back of the shrimp to discard the vein.
Wash again.
3. In a saucepan over medium heat boil water with salt. Add the shrimp (including whole
ones), turn the heat to medium low and simmer for 3 minutes or until they turn pink.
Transfer the shrimp to a bowl and cool.
4. In the meantime, make the sauce by combining mayonnaise with ketchup in a bowl. Stir,
add Worcestershire sauce, and Brandy, if using. Reserve.
5. Peel the avocados, discard the seed and cut the pulp in dices.
6. Add s1/2 avocado to each martini glasses -you can use any other serving dish or glass-,
cover with Golf sauce, and place the cooked shrimp on the rim of the glass.
7. Garnish with a whole shrimp, a sprig of curly parsley, and serve immediately.

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