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Shrimp Cocktail & Green Melon

Printed From: Foods of the World Forum
Category: The US and Canada
Forum Name: Texas and the Southwest
Forum Discription: Vaquero Cuisine
URL: http://foodsoftheworld.ActiveBoards.net/forum_posts.asp?TID=2998
Printed Date: 28 March 2024 at 09:02


Topic: Shrimp Cocktail & Green Melon
Posted By: Margi Cintrano
Subject: Shrimp Cocktail & Green Melon
Date Posted: 19 December 2012 at 03:41
Shrimp cocktail is a light, refreshing and wonderful starter especially during the holiday season. This recipe was given to me by a friend´s daughter, who lived and owned a restaurant in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
 
Cóctel  de Langostinos con Melón /  Shrimp Cocktail with Green Melon ...
 
16 jumbo sized shrimp ( serve at room temperature after sauté process in Evoo )
varied lettuce leaves of dark green, light green and red
1/2 green melon
4 tblsps. home made mayonnaise
1 tblsp. tomato paste
1 tblsp. Brandy of choice
1 tsp. Dijon French Mustard
a couple of drops of Tabasco
2 tblsps. fresh squeezed lemon juice
 
1) wash the shrimp thoroughly and pat dry
2) sprinkle seasalt or kosher salt on the shrimp
3) wash all lettuces and drain thoroughly
4) season the lettuce varieties to taste and add herbs of choice
5) eliminate melon seeds
6) peel shrimp and sauté in Evoo for 1 1/2 to 2 mins. until coral red and drain
7) combine the mayonnaise, mustard, tomato paste, tabasco, lemon juice and a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar if so desired and blend well
8) take a melon ball cutter and make little melon balls and pat dry
9) collocate the lettuce pieces in a Large Martini Glass Stemware and add the shrimp and melon
and adorn with a drizzle of the dressing ( place in sauce boat ) and place a few shrimp around rim of the stemware.
 
PRETTY AND COLORFUL,
ENJOY, AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS,
Ciao.
MARGI CINTRANO.
 


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Volamos a Mediterraneo, un paraiso que conquista su gente u su cocina.



Replies:
Posted By: drinks
Date Posted: 03 March 2015 at 14:53
What is the green melon?


Posted By: HistoricFoodie
Date Posted: 03 March 2015 at 15:42
Those with green flesh, Drinks, such as Honeydew and Persian, as opposed to those with orange flesh, such as Canteloupe.

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But we hae meat and we can eat
And sae the Lord be thanket


Posted By: drinks
Date Posted: 03 March 2015 at 20:42
HF, I do not know of a melon with green flesh ,I have grown a number of melons, none were green fleshed, the closest was honeydews and even then when ripe they are white with an orange cast.
Can you give me a specific variety name?
Thank you.


Posted By: Hoser
Date Posted: 04 March 2015 at 01:39
I think the closest you might get would be Ogen melon, from Israel...they retain a pale green color even when ripe.

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Go ahead...play with your food!


Posted By: TasunkaWitko
Date Posted: 23 March 2015 at 21:51
We grow honeydew melons up here which have green flesh when ripe. I'm not sure of the specific variety, but I can send some seeds, if you'd like ~

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Posted By: Margi Cintrano
Date Posted: 29 August 2017 at 15:37

The Green melón that is grown in Spain is called " Piel de Sapo " and it is quite a bit lighter in color  than honey dew and is a completely different shape ..   It´s Latin Name is:
" Cucurbitaceae Cuciumis  Melo "  .. 


The Skin of the frog = piel de sapo is indigenious to Spain ( Designation of Origin:   Ciudad Real, Castille La Mancha ) .. 

And the taste profile is much more of a Persian Melon verses honey dew .. 


However, the appetiser  could be made with a Persian Melon or  Honey dew ..  


NOTE:   The Piel de Sapo Melon is grown in California and  Brazil .. 




Thank you  Gentlemen ..  It is lovely ..   





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Volamos a Mediterraneo, un paraiso que conquista su gente u su cocina.


Posted By: HistoricFoodie
Date Posted: 30 August 2017 at 04:25
Unfortunately, Margi, they're all c. melo, so that doesn't help much.

There are quite a few green to greenish-white-fleshed melons around (sometimes with coral or reddish undertones). Unfortunately, unless one chooses honeydew or Korean melons, you pretty much have to grow them yourself. At least in America, where orange-fleshed muskmelons are the standard, and even true cantaloupes are rare.

While I prefer melon/seafood dishes with green flesh, as per your recipe, they can work with orange fleshed ones. First such cocktail I ever had was a variation of Scallops Charles, done with cantaloupe. Just make sure the melon is fully ripe, or you wind up eating shrimp, scallops, or crab accompanied by orange cardboard.

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But we hae meat and we can eat
And sae the Lord be thanket


Posted By: HistoricFoodie
Date Posted: 30 August 2017 at 04:32
Margi, I can use some clarification on your recipe.

First off, "jumbo" is a meaningless phrase, in terms of choosing shrimp. Large, medium, jumbo, etc. are marketing terms. Shrimp are graded by the number of them in a pound. FWIW, I like the 21-25 size for shrimp cocktails.

Next: A shrimp cocktail is traditionally served with five shrimp arranged around the rim of the martini or cocktail glass. You call for 16 shrimp, some of which are mixed in with the melon balls. So, do we presume that this recipe served only two people?

I'm also guessing that the ones mixed in with the melon balls are cut smaller, so that the shrimp and the balls are the same size?

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But we hae meat and we can eat
And sae the Lord be thanket


Posted By: Margi Cintrano
Date Posted: 30 August 2017 at 07:03


Brook,

Yes, I agree ..  One must buy a fully ripe and aromatic melón ..  Shellfish goes wonderfully with melón as does Iberian Ham or Prosciutto ..  And a wide variety of lettuce greens and also numerous salad dressings .. 


The " Piel de Sapo " does not taste like Honeydew at all .. 

It tastes similar to a Persian Melon except it is a very pale "Green" .. 

The skin looks like a  frog´s  exterior skin ..  

They are large, approx the size of a small  watermelon but they are always oval, like an American Football more or less and bigger ..

I am sure you can find a Spanish Company that exports seeds from
Ciudad Real,  Castilla La Mancha.  


Have a nice day.   Did you post your  recipe for the shellfish / seafood salad with melón  ?  


Have a wonderful Labor Day  Weekend and all my best for a healthy autumn. 
 




 


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Volamos a Mediterraneo, un paraiso que conquista su gente u su cocina.


Posted By: HistoricFoodie
Date Posted: 31 August 2017 at 08:56
Actually, Margi, I don’t think I ever have posted it.

Scallops Charles started life as a recipe I’d clipped from an old Gourmet magazine. Originally it was made with oranges, rather than melon, but I adapted it.

Here's the original as it appeared in Gourmet:

Scallops Charles

Wash 1 ½ lbs scallops and put them in a saucepan with 1 small onion, sliced, 2 sprigs of parsley, and 1 sprig of thyme. Add just enough white wine to barely cover the scallops, bring the liquid to a boil, and simmer the scallops for 3 to 5 minutes, or until they are white and just cooked through. Drain the scallops and let them cool. Chill 6 stemmed glasses and arrange orange sections, peeled of rind and membrane, in a thin layer in each glass. Fill the glasses with the cooled scallops and cover them with mayonnaise Charles. Garnish each portion with thin strips of scallion and serve very cold.

Mayonnaise Charles
To 1 cup mayonnaise add ½ cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons each of finely chopped chives and parsley, ½ garlic clove mashed to a paste with salt, and the juice of ½ lemon. Season to taste with salt and cayenne.

Although this was OK, I thought the oranges made it too sweet. So, my first adaptation was to use tangerines instead. Better, but still not there. I decided to forgo the citrus altogether, and use honeydew melon instead. Honeydew---or any melon, for that matter---is a natural pairing with shellfish.

I also thought using sea scallops made this starter too cumbersome to eat, and went with bay scallops instead. Using the small end of the melon baller makes the melon and scallops much nearer in size. I tossed them together, put them in the glasses, and topped with the mayonnaise and scallion strips.

This same approach works with other shellfish as well. For instance, with shrimp I use the salad shrimp (100 count) tossed with the melon, then garnish with regular sized shrimp as well.

With crab, I use lump mixed with the melon, and garnish with claw meat.

From a flavor standpoint, the garnish isn’t necessary. But it adds to the visual appeal, and let’s the dinner know what to expect.

I’m sure there are other changes that can be rung on this theme, but these are the only ones I’ve tried.



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But we hae meat and we can eat
And sae the Lord be thanket


Posted By: Margi Cintrano
Date Posted: 02 September 2017 at 16:16
Thank you very much Brook ..

Sublime exquisiteness surely ..

I shall photocopy ..

I do not recall the post however, both of us are posting since 2012 !!!

But this is memorable !!

Thanks again and have a wonderful weekend ..

 


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Volamos a Mediterraneo, un paraiso que conquista su gente u su cocina.



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