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Loading...A festive chilled seafood cocktail from the coastal state of Campeche, this dish layers tender cooked shrimp and octopus in a tangy tomato-lime broth with crisp onion, cilantro, and creamy avocado. Served in a goblet with ice-cold sauce, it is brighter and more herbaceous than a standard shrimp cocktail.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Total Time35 mins
Servings4
Yield4 cocktails
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 285 kcalCalories
- 9 gFat
- 1.5 gSaturated Fat
- 18 gCarbs
- 4 gFiber
- 9 gSugar
- 28 gProtein
- 780 mgSodium
- 720 mgPotassium
- 110 mgCalcium
- 3.5 mgIron
- 35 mgVitamin C
- 280 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the seafood
- 12 oz medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 8 oz baby octopus, cleaned
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 bay leaf
For the cocktail sauce
- 1 cup tomato juice (Clamato-style)
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 1/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)
- 2 tbsp finely chopped white onion
- 1 tbsp minced jalapeño
- 2 tsp prepared horseradish
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp hot sauce, plus more to taste
For assembly and garnish
- 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 ripe avocado, diced
- 4 lime wedges
- Crushed ice, for serving
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil with the smashed garlic, bay leaf, and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the octopus and simmer for 20-25 minutes until tender when pierced, then add the shrimp during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain, cool, and slice the octopus into bite-size pieces while leaving the shrimp whole.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the tomato juice, tomato sauce, lime juice, white onion, jalapeño, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper and chill the sauce for at least 15 minutes so the flavors meld.
- Add the cooled shrimp and octopus to the chilled sauce and gently fold in the diced red onion and cilantro. Taste and adjust salt, lime, or heat.
- Fill four chilled goblets or wide glasses with crushed ice. Spoon the seafood and sauce over the ice, making sure each glass gets an even mix of shrimp and octopus.
- Top each cocktail with diced avocado and a generous grind of black pepper, then garnish with a lime wedge. Serve immediately with extra hot sauce on the side.
Cook’s Notes
- Use the freshest seafood you can find; this is a raw-sauce style cocktail so quality matters and the dish should stay well-chilled.
- If octopus is unavailable, substitute 6 oz cleaned squid rings and simmer them just 2-3 minutes to keep them tender.
- The sauce tastes better after resting, so make it up to 4 hours ahead and keep it refrigerated until assembly.
- For a more traditionalCampeche touch, add a few shucked fresh oysters to each glass just before serving.
