Campechana
The origin of the name campechana is a mystery, but just about every Texan I know loves this cool, tomatoey seafood cocktail stocked with plump chunks of ripe avocado and served with a pile of crisp tortilla chips. (I hear it is big in some parts of California, too.) I got stuck on campechana at a place run by legendary Houston restaurateur Jim Goode. He parlayed a small Texas barbecue joint into a homegrown restaurant dynasty that includes a Tex-Mex eatery and two Gulf Coast seafood spots. Campechana is incredibly versatile. As an appetizer, serve in long-stemmed glasses set on plates and surrounded with tortilla chips for dipping. Serve as a main course in a huge bowl, surrounded by chips. Offer individual bowls and let guests ladle up servings themselves. For outdoor or beachside festivities, transport in a large plastic container set in a cooler and serve in clear acrylic stemmed glasses or in disposable plastic glasses. Don’t forget plenty of chips.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 8 to 10 as a main course; double that as an appetizer
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Heat the olive oil in a large pot set over medium heat and sauté the onion, bell peppers, and garlic. While the vegetables cook, combine the salt and cayenne in a small bowl and rub on the shrimp; cut each shrimp into 3 bite-size pieces. Add the shrimp to the pot and sauté on mediumhigh for about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, V8 juice, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce, and bring the mixture to a simmer, about 5 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in lime and lemon juices, horseradish, and crab. Refrigerate until cold, preferably overnight, so the flavors meld.
Step 2
Just before serving, peel and pit the avocados and cut them into bite-size chunks. Gently stir them in along with the cilantro and parsley. Serve with plenty of lime wedges and chips.
