Mexican Inspired Seafood Gazpacho

LIGHT AND FRESH MEXICAN GAZPACHO

Steps:

• Combine celery, red and yellow bell peppers, cucumbers, avocados, cilantro, green onions, red onion, tomato-vegetable juice cocktail, tomato and claim juice cocktail, hot pepper sauce, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, and garlic powder in a large nonreactive bowl. Season with salt and black pepper. Refrigerate at least 6 hours to blend flavors.

MEXICAN GAZPACHO

Steps:

• Rub the poblano pepper with olive oil. Roast over the gas flame of your stove, turning often, until the skin is black, 7 to 10 minutes. Place pepper into a paper bag and seal; set aside to cool, about 10 minutes.
• Combine cucumber and onion in a bowl. Set aside.
• Take cooled poblano from the bag and scrape off the burned skin. Remove stem and seeds; roughly chop the pepper.
• Place tomatoes, poblano, jalapeno, garlic, lime juice, sugar, salt, pepper, and cumin into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until thick and not runny. Add cucumber and onion; pulse 3 to 4 times to incorporate. Refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes. Serve.

BEST GAZPACHO

Steps:

• Combine tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, onion and garlic in a blender or, if using a hand blender, in a deep bowl. (If necessary, work in batches.) Blend at high speed until very smooth, at least 2 minutes, pausing occasionally to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.
• With the motor running, add the vinegar and 2 teaspoons salt. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil. The mixture will turn bright orange or dark pink and become smooth and emulsified, like a salad dressing. If it still seems watery, drizzle in more olive oil until texture is creamy.
• Strain the mixture through a strainer or a food mill, pushing all the liquid through with a spatula or the back of a ladle. Discard the solids. Transfer to a large pitcher (preferably glass) and chill until very cold, at least 6 hours or overnight.
• Before serving, adjust the seasonings with salt and vinegar. If soup is very thick, stir in a few tablespoons ice water. Serve in glasses, over ice if desired, or in a bowl. A few drops of olive oil on top are a nice touch.

SEAFOOD GAZPACHO

Steps:

• Combine the bread crumbs and garlic and set aside.
• Mix together the cucumber, red peppers, jalapeno peppers, onion, and tomatoes in a large bowl.
• Pour in the tomato juice and lime juice and stir to combine.
• Add the bread crumb mixture and stir in the oil.
• Puree half the soup in a food processor or blender and stir it back into the half that is not pureed.
• Season with cumin and salt and pepper to taste.
• Refrigerate until cold.
• Just before serving, stir in the crabmeat and avocado.

CREOLE SPICED SEAFOOD GAZPACHO

Steps:

• In a food processor with a metal blade, combine the chopped vegetables, shallots, garlic, horseradish, and cilantro. Puree the mixture until slightly smooth. Add the V-8 juice, Absolute Pepper Vodka, Worcestershire sauce, juice from 2 lemons and the liquid crab boil. Puree until the mixture is smooth. Season with cayenne, salt, and pepper. Remove the mixture from the food processor and refrigerate for 6 hours, so the flavors can marry. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the vegetables and blanch for 1 minute. Remove and shock the vegetables in a bowl of ice water. Remove the vegetables and pat dry. In a mixing bowl, whisk the extra virgin olive oil and remaining lemon juice together. Add the herbs and whisk well. Season with salt and pepper. In a mixing bowl, toss the brunoise vegetables with 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper. Toss each of the seafood with the remaining vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper. To assemble, place a pile of each seafood in the bowls. Ladle the gazpacho into each bowl. Spoon the vegetable relish in the center of each bowl. Garnish with the herb salad.

CREOLE SPICED SEAFOOD GAZPACHO

Steps:

• In a food processor with a metal blade, combine the chopped vegetables, shallots, garlic, horseradish, and cilantro. Puree the mixture until slightly smooth. Add the vegetable juice, vodka, Worcestershire sauce, juice from 2 lemons and the liquid crab boil. Puree until the mixture is smooth. Season with cayenne, salt, and pepper. Remove the mixture from the food processor and refrigerate for 6 hours, so the flavors can marry.
• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the vegetables and blanch for 1 minute. Remove and shock the vegetables in a bowl of ice water. Remove the vegetables and pat dry.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk the extra-virgin olive oil and remaining lemon juice together. Add the herbs and whisk well. Season with salt and pepper. In a mixing bowl, toss the brunoise vegetables with 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper. Toss each of the seafood with the remaining vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper.
• To assemble, place a pile of each seafood in the bowls. Ladle the gazpacho into each bowl. Spoon the vegetable relish in the center of each bowl. Garnish with the herb salad.

SHRIMP GAZPACHO

Steps:

• In a large nonreactive bowl, mix first 6 ingredients. Gently stir in remaining ingredients. Refrigerate, covered, 1 hour before serving.

MEXICAN SEAFOOD PAELLA

Steps:

• Saute onions, bellpeppers, garlic, and crab legs in olive oil until onions are translucent.
• Add rice to pan. Saute, stirring frequently, until rice turns golden brown.
• Mix Sazón packet with 1 cup of the chicken stock.
• Add wine and Sazón mixture to pan. Stir until liquid is absorbed.
• Add chicken stock, shrimp, and tuna. Stir once, lay lobster on top, making sure to submerge the exposed meat, then cover.
• Cook for 15 minutes. Do not uncover the pan during this time.
• Add peas and tomato. Recover and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

MEXICAN SEAFOOD COCKTAIL

Steps:

• Stir together Clamato juice, ketchup, lime juice, hot sauce, salt, onion, and cilantro in a large bowl, then gently stir in avocado, crabmeat, and shrimp. Spoon into 6- or 8-ounce glasses or cups.