How can you not love this combination of subtle flavors—the smooth, rich, green avocado and the equally rich, mildly piquant shrimp salad? It’s amazing how far a simple concoction of shrimp, pink cocktail sauce, and lemon will take you. This is a classic recipe, created at the Hotel Ritz in Paris many years ago and now found in numerous variations throughout the world. Growing up, whenever we went out for a fancy meal or special occasion, it was the choice item on the menu as far as I was concerned.

Ingredients

• 2 large egg ­yolks
• 1 teaspoon Dijon ­mustard
• 1/2 cup vegetable ­oil
• Dash of Tabasco ­sauce
• 1 teaspoon ­brandy
• 2 tablespoons ­ketchup
• Juice of 1/2 ­lemon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound cooked shrimp (see ­Note 1), deveined
• 2 large ­avocados
• 1 head of iceberg ­lettuce
• 4 ­grapefruit segments, membranes removed
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika, for ­garnish

Instructions

1. Prepare the cocktail sauce. Place the egg yolks and mustard in a mixing bowl and beat with a whisk. Gradually add the oil to the mixture, constantly whisking until it emulsifies to the consistency of mayonnaise. Add the Tabasco, brandy, ketchup, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and mix well. (The sauce can be stored in a covered glass container in the refrigerator for up to a ­week.)

2. Cut the cooked and cleaned shrimp into 1­-­inch cubes. Combine them with the cocktail sauce in a large bowl and mix ­well.

3. Halve the avocados (see Note 2), remove the pits, but don’t peel. Place equal amounts of the shrimp salad in the pit hollows of the avocado halves, filling them and creating ­mounds.

4. Arrange beds of iceberg lettuce leaves on salad plates and place a stuffed avocado half on each. Top with a segment of grapefruit, sprinkle with paprika, and serve.

Note 1: This recipe calls for cooked shrimp. To poach your own, place enough salted water in a large saucepan to cover the shrimp by about 1/2 inch. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat to medium-low, add the shrimp, and simmer until the shrimp turn pink, 3 to 5 minutes. If you want to add a dash of flavor, you can poach the shrimp in a court­-­bouillon. Place water in a large sauté pan or skillet to a depth of 1 to 2 inches. Add 1/2 cup white wine, one large carrot cut into 1/4­-­inch rounds, a rib of celery cut into 1/2­-­inch sections, a medium white onion sliced, 1 sprig of parsley, a tablespoon of white peppercorns, a bay leaf, and a sprig of thyme. Bring the water to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Then drop the shrimp in the court­-­bouillon to poach until pink, draining them and refreshing them in cold water before ­use.

Note 2: If you’re cutting the avocados in advance, rub the exposed surfaces with lemon juice to avoid discoloration.

Tip

The Magnificent Avocado

Other Salad Recipes

Crab Cocktail Salad
Crisp Brussels Sprouts
Cucumber, Tomato, and Feta Salad
Flower of Endive Salad
Frisée with Croutons & Bacon
Grilled Salmon Salad
Russian Salad
Scallops and Grapefruit Salad
Tuna Sashimi Salad