Dad’s Shrimp Cocktail

Growing up in the beach town of Corpus Christi, I spent many long hours shrimping, crabbing, and fishing with my dad. I remember my mom frequently asking him, “How on earth am I going to cook all of this?” One way she coped was regular “you-peel-’em” nights, when she would put a couple of enormous bowls of hot, steamed shrimp on the table with many small dishes of Tabasco-infused cocktail sauce. My dad, sisters, and I would happily stay at that table until every bowl was empty. In Mexico they have their own way of coping with abundant shrimp. No matter where you go, you will find a variation of this traditional appetizer, which is one of my dad’s favorite dishes. He loves Tabasco so much that he usually uses double the amount here! Sweet shrimp and velvety avocado temper the heat of the tangy cocktail sauce. Even if you don’t like it as spicy as my dad does, it should definitely have a little kick. Mexican shrimp cocktail is typically served out of individual small dishes—I like cocktail glasses—and eaten with a spoon.