Name: Shrimp Tempura Cocktail
Yield: Makes 8 appetizer servings
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 onion, chopped; 2 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 1 teaspoon minced canned chipotle chiles*; 2 large ripe avocados, peeled, pitted; 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro; 1/4 cup fresh lime juice; 1/4 cup minced shallots; 2 tablespoons minced jalapeño chiles; Vegetable oil (for deep-frying); 2 cups rice flour**; 2 cups club soda; 24 uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tail shells left intact; 4 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce

Janet and Travis Kuhl of Cranford, New Jersey, writes: "We recently went to chef Ming Tsai's Blue Ginger restaurant in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Our entire meal was top-notch, but the shrimp cocktail was our favorite."

Poured carefully side by side into a cocktail glass, tomato puree and avocado puree make a colorful dip for the lightly battered and quickly deep-fried shrimp.

Recipe notes

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