Mexican Seafood Cocktail

I love this refreshing seafood cocktail especially during Houston's hot summers! It makes a wonderful party dish.
For my recipe challenged friends, please don't get daunted by the multiple steps in this recipe! It comes together quite easily and effortlessly...I promise!


For The Sauce

1/4 cup green olives, chopped*

1/3cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup chile sauce

1 tablespoon fresh oregano

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon serrano pepper, seeded and chopped

1/4 cup lime juice

1 cup Clamato juice



For The Pico

1/2 cup tomatoes, seeded and diced

1/4 cup white onion, diced

1 teaspoon garlic, minced (about 2 cloves)

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt



For The Seafood

1 1/2 avocadoes, peeled and diced

1/2 cup Anaheim Chiles, roasted, peeled and diced**

1 1/2 lb. shrimp, boiled and peeled ( cut larger shrimp in half)***

1/2 lb. lump crabmeat (buy the freshest you can find - can't find it in your local market...skip the crab & add another 1/2 lb. shrimp)



In food processor or blender, combine all sauce ingredients and puree, scrapping sides down with spatula as needed.

In glass bowl, combine pico ingredients. Pour sauce over pico and stir to combine. Gently fold in shrimp and crab. Cover and refrigerate over night.

Two to three hours before serving dice avocado and fold into seafood mixture.

When ready to serve you can serve individual cocktails in tall sundae or parfait glases. For large gatherings, serve in your prettiest crystal bowl. Serve with warm tortilla chips.

*Remove pimento from olives before chopping.

** Heat grill to high heat and roast chilies until blistered and black on all sides. Remove from grill and place chilies in large ziploc. Seal and let peppers rest 5 minutes. remove from bag and peel away charred skin. Cur stem off and split chilies open to remove seeds. Now you are ready to use in recipe.

*** I buy peeled (I loathe peeling shrimp) RAW shrimp. NEVER buy the already cooked ones...they are always mealy and overcooked. To prepare shrimp for this recipe, I bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 tsp Tony Chachere seasoning. Add shrimp and cook just until shrimp float to top (3-5 minutes). Remove from heat and pour shrimp into large colander in sink. Immediatley place shrimp in a bowl and place in fridge to cool.