Active Time

　　1 hr

　　Total Time

　　25 hr

　　"I am 76 and consider myself a very good cook," writes Dorothy Harley of Norco, California. "I've always looked forward to receiving your magazine. Some recipes I try, love, and make over and over. One recipe I remember most is a shrimp and avocado salad. For our 25th anniversary, I cleaned and cooked 25 pounds of shrimp myself for the dish — it was a hit. And for my daughter's wedding, 21 years ago, I made it again. I'm sure that if you reprinted the recipe, you'd receive praise."

　　Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 25 hr (includes marinating)

　　

Ingredients

Makes 8 first-course servings

　　2 pounds medium shrimp (about 76), peeled and deveined

　　3/4 cup white-wine vinegar

　　1 cup vegetable oil

　　1/4 cup capers, not drained

　　1 teaspoon salt

　　1 teaspoon black pepper

　　1 teaspoon celery seeds

　　1/2 teaspoon Tabasco

　　1 cup thinly sliced onion

　　1/2 cup chopped celery

　　7 bay leaves (not California)

　　2 firm-ripe California avocados

　　Accompaniment: soft green-leaf lettuce such as Boston

　　

Step 1

Cook shrimp in a 5-quart pot of boiling salted water* until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes, then drain in a colander.

　　

Step 2

Whisk together vinegar, oil, capers, salt, pepper, celery seeds, and Tabasco in a large bowl, then add warm shrimp, onion, celery, and bay leaves and toss to combine. Marinate, covered and chilled, 24 hours to 2 days.

　　

Step 3

Just before serving, discard bay leaves. Quarter, pit, and peel avocados and cut into 3/4-inch cubes. Gently stir into shrimp salad, then spoon over lettuce.

　　

Step 4

When salting water for cooking, use 1 tablespoon salt for every 4 quarts water.