Chef notes
I have always appreciated the refreshing nature of cold gazpacho — and the novel notion that a soup could serve as a refreshment — and with a splash of vodka stirred in, it evokes the bite of a classic bloody mary. The warm shrimp add texture, and I love the cold-hot combo.
Technique tip: Slightly undercook your seafood. The residual heat in the shrimp or fish will continue the cooking process after it is removed from the heat source.
Swap option: You can use crawfish tails or scallops in place of the shrimp. Top off the soup with a couple of olives on a toothpick, or any classic bloody mary garnish, would work with this dish, too.
Ingredients
- 6 ripe plum tomatoes, chopped
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup olive juice (from a jar of green olives)
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce, preferably Tabasco
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 pound small shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/2 cup vodka
- 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Preparation
1.In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, cucumber, bell pepper, celery, garlic, olive oil, olive juice, Tabasco, lemon juice and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.
2.Using a hand blender, blend the ingredients until well combined in a soup-like consistency. Place the mixture in a nonmetallic, nonreactive container, cover tightly, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight to let the flavors blend.
3.About an hour before serving, in a shallow bowl combine the shrimp, vodka and Worcestershire sauce. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4.Strain the shrimp from the marinade and pat it dry. Discard the marinade.
5.In a large skillet set over high heat, melt the butter. Add the shrimp to the skillet and sauté until fully cooked, 3-4 minutes.
6.Ladle the gazpacho into individual serving bowls. Divide the hot shrimp among the bowls and stir to combine. Serve immediately.
