If your party planning has you paralyzed by visions of serving pimiento loaf paired with the Pi˜a Coladas, fear not. Sophisticated help is on the way with Cocktail Food, a collection of 50 intriguing, anything-but-ordinary hors d'oeuvres compiled and tested by sisters Mary Corpening Barber and Sara Corpening Whiteford, with collaborator Lori Lyn Narlock.
Seashells Chipotle-Rock Shrimp Salad with Corn and Red Peppers in Tortilla Cups
Recipe from:
Cocktail Food
by Mary Corpening Barber,Sara Corpening Whiteford,Sara Corping Whiteford Cookbook Heaven at
Recipelink.com
Rock shrimp is wonderful for stuffings and cold salads that are bound with cream cheese or mayonnaise. It is full of flavor and much more economical than the larger shrimp or prawns we know and love. Also, you don't have to peel and devein rock shrimp, which is a real time-saver.
Yield: 47 Filled Tortilla Cups
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 pound (about 1 1/2 cups) rock shrimp
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons lime juice
1 teaspoon minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (see Note)
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon onion salt
1/2 cup fresh uncooked corn kernels
1/3 cup diced red pepper
Three 8-inch flour tortillas
48 cilantro leaves for garnishing
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Season the shrimp with 1/4 teaspoon of the kosher salt and the pepper. Sauté over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp turns pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a strainer and let cool. When cool, chop coarsely.
Combine the cream cheese, cilantro, lime juice, chipotle chiles, garlic, oregano, and onion slat in a medium bowl. Stir until well combined. Add the corn, red pepper, and shrimp. Refrigerate until slightly chilled.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the tortillas in a sack and trim the edges to form a 6-inch square. Brush both sides of each tortilla with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Restack the tortillas and cut each into 16 squares.
Press each square firmly into the bottom of miniature (1-inch cup) muffin tins. Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon kosher slat. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool.
To assemble: Fill each tortilla cup with 1 teaspoon of the shrimp mixture. Garnish with a cilantro leaf and serve.
Do-ahead tips: The shrimp salad can be prepared 1 day in advance. The tortilla cups can be prepared up to 5 days in advance and stored in an airtight container. Assemble as directed.
Note: Canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce can be found in supermarkets and Latino specialty markets.
