In honor of Valentines Day, I will post something special for my Daddy. One of my all time favorite memories is of my father shucking oysters in our backyard. He had this crazy passion for seafood and making his famous "Caldazos" (soups) on Sundays. I remember I would reluctantly go with him to the Asian super market and order Cat fish filets, Shrimp, Clams, Mussels, and Octopus. On most occasions, when available, we would bring home a large bag of oysters.
He would sit in the back yard with his pocket knife shucking away. Sometimes, he would turn on the bbq to open up the oysters but we NEVER made Rockefeller or cooked the oyster. He would call me over, hand me one and chuckle at the sight of his 8 year old daughter slurping away at the alien in the shell. There is something about a raw, slimy oyster that makes my taste buds yearn for more! I love the rocky, salty flavor of the ocean. We would garnish with lemon juice and salt. Maybe some Tapatio.
Today, I remembered my fathers famous Shrimp Coctel. It is more like a gazpacho/ceviche than a traditional American shrimp cocktail. At most California Mexican restaurants, you can order a large goblet filled with shrimp, clams, cucumber and other veggies in a tomato based cold broth. I usually tend to like my home made version because I hate using ketchup in my cooking as a substitute to real tomato flavoring. You eat Coctel with crackers and a spoon. I always loved it when my dad and cousins rolled up their sleeves and prepped our Seafood Sundays. Lots going on in the kitchen!
I want to share the recipe and a picture of an inspirational Ceviche I had for lunch in Redwood City, CA. Ceviche Bar and Grill has the most amazing, fresh, lobster Ceviche. I was lucky to come during crab season and had both in my ceviche.
As for my fathers, it is definitely easy to make and a must for those hot days when you don't want to cook a hot meal. I make a huge bowl and pack it on ice, grab a 6 pack of Coronas and head to the beach.
Seafood Sunday Coctel de Camaron
1.5 lbs of Med. Shrimp Deveined
.5 lb of small cooked shrimp
1 can of cooked clams (optional)
.5 lb of Octopus (optional)
5 Lemons
2 Large Cucumbers
3 Large Roma tomatoes
1-2 bunches of Green onions
1 bottle of clam juice
1 16 oz. bottle of Clamato juice
2-3 Chile Serranos (depending on how spicy you like it!)
2 Large Avocados cut into squares to add when served
1 Bunch of Cilantro roughly chopped to add when served
Tapatio Sauce, Salt & Pepper to taste
Add De-veined shrimp, clams, and any other seafood into a bowl and add juice from two lemons. Toss the seafood and let marinate while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
Cut Avocado, Cucumbers and Tomatoes into small bite sized cubes, slice green onions, mince Serrano peppers, Roughly chop cilantro and juice about 3 lemons (set aside)
Return to your lemon marinated seafood and drain. You can give the contents a rinse under warm water for about 30 seconds. In a clean large bowl, add the seafood, chopped veggies and pour in the entire bottle of clam juice. Add about half of the lemon juice and fill the rest of the bowl (not to the rim) but nicely filled with Clamato. Add about 1-2 tablespoons of salt and pepper to taste. Mix it well and give the liquid a taste. Chill for about 1 hour.
Lastly, before serving add a good handful of Cilantro to the bowl and stir in gently. You want to add this last as it becomes bruised and wilted during the chill process. Give the liquid a taste. If it needs more lemon or salt, add more to your liking.
To serve, chill some bowls or large margarita goblets in the freezer overnight or 2 hours ahead. Add more cilantro as a garnish and add a heap of Avocado squares to top! I like to mix it all up and add some splashes of Tapatio sauce to give it a little more kick.
Serve with Saltine Crackers or Tortilla chips and lemon slices on the side.
