Shrimp Margarita

When I was a young girl I had an interest in cooking and cookbooks, and used to copy out recipes onto index cards which I kept in a shoebox and had organized and updated. My relatives would get letters from me in which I'd proudly announce how many recipes I had transcribed and I'm sure they'd roll their eyes and grin.

I still have the shoebox and occasionally dip into it for meal inspiration. This recipe comes from my teenage years when I am certain I had never sipped a salty Margarita, so I am not sure why it made it into the collection. Not sure of the provenance, but I whipped up a batch for the family and it was deemed "okay", although I thought it was yummier than that. I would eliminate the cream next time and substitute vegetable broth for a lighter sauce.

Shrimp Margarita

3/4 lb. raw or thawed frozen shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/4 cup lime juice
Salt and Pepper
1 small ripe avocado, cubed
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. finely chopped shallots
1/4 cup tequila
3/4 cup heavy cream

Marinate shrimp in lime juice and season with salt and pepper for at least one hour. Heat butter in skillet and when hot, add shrimp, stirring rapidly and cook 2 minutes. Sprinkle with shallots, and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add tequila and cook, stirring until reduced by half. Add cream and cook over high heat 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Add avocado and cook, stirring, about 1-2 minutes.

Serve over hot cooked rice.

Serves 4-6.