Growing up on the Texas Gulf coast, shrimp, crab and all manner of seafood are plentiful. One of the many Mexican style dishes enjoyed by all who live on the Gulf of Mexico is Shrimp and Crab Campechana. It is simply a dressed up seafood cocktail which features shellfish, as I’ve done here, or you can add cooked fish, octopus, scallops or just about anything edible from the sea.
While I use frozen seafood here, it is preferable to use fresh shrimp and crab in the recipe and I exclusively do in the summer time. The dish is very savory and addictive. For me, it preserves the taste of summer in the winter time since I often use frozen pre-cooked ice shrimp. As I write this, I can see myself at a warm beach side, outdoor bar with an ice cold beer about to dive into a parfait of jumbo lump crab meat and shrimp.
I like to serve Campechana with crackers or tortilla chips. It also makes a great seafood cocktail dip, just keep it cold over ice if you are serving it this way.
Light and refreshing taste of gulf coast summer.
For this recipe, I use cooked ice shrimp. Ice shrimp, also known as cold water shrimp, are 90ct + per pound shrimp in size. They are inexpensive and readily available in most areas. They come frozen, but thaw out quickly in cool water.
This recipe is on the easy side since most ingredients measure out to a 1/4 cup.
Add all the chopped ingredients to a medium to large mixing bowl. Add also the Tabasco style hot sauce, ketchup, chili sauce and oil.
To get an avocado out of its skin, use a medium-sized spoon and work around the edge to release the avocado pulp.
When making guacamole or Campechcana with avocado, immediately add some lemon, lime or both, which seasons the avocado and keeps it from oxidizing and turning brown.
Add the shrimp, lump crab meat, avocado, and sliced hearts of palm to the rest of the ingredients in the mixing bowl.
Toss gently to merge all the ingredients. Try to keep some of the lump crab meat in large chunks.
Serve Gulf Coast Campechana in a chilled parfait glass with extra hot sauce, crackers or warm tortilla chips.
Gulf Coast Campechana
This recipe is simple. Prep the ingredients, put everything into a bowl, and mix gently. Keep cold and enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup green olives, sliced
- 1/4 cup white onion, peeled and minced
- 1/4 cup parsley, chopped fine
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped fine
- 1 tbsp oregano, fresh chopped
- 1/4 cup tomato, seeded and diced
- 1/2 cup hearts of palm, sliced
- 2 whole Hatch (Sandia) chilies, roasted, peeled substitute jalapeno or serrano
- 2 clove garlic, smashed and minced
- 1/4 cup avocado oil substitute any neutral flavored oil of your choice
- 1 whole avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1/4 lemon juice
- 1/3 cup ketchup preferably Heinz Organic
- 1/4 cup chili sauce
- 1/4 cup Clamato tomato juice Clamato is 4 parts tomato juice 1 part clam juice if it is not available in your area
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp Tabasco style hot sauce
- 2 pinch salt
- 2 pinch coarse grind black pepper
- 1/2 pound ice shrimp, cooked any type of shrimp can be substituted
- 1/2 pound lump crab meat, cleaned and picked over
Instructions
-
Prep the first 9 ingredients and place into a medium or large mixing bowl.
-
Add the avocado oil to the mix and prep the fresh avocado. Once the avocado is diced, add to the mixture along with the lemon and lime juice.
-
Add all the liquid ingredients along with the salt and pepper
-
Add the shrimp and crab. Gently mix to combine.
-
Serve in individual portions or as a savory cold dip with crackers or tortilla chips.
Recipe Notes
This recipe can be prepped and kept on hand until you need it. Add all of the ingredients except the avocado, lump crab meat, shrimp and hearts of palm. The base will stay fresh if tightly sealed for some time. Add the fresh avocado, lump crab meat, shrimp and hearts of palm just before serving.
This dish is great with warm fried tortilla chips and ice cold Mexican beer.
I’m so glad C. and I were able to taste this dish. It was phenomenal. Can’t wait to make it ourselves.