Shrimp, Avocado And Watercress With Marie Rose Sauce

I think this recipe is a throw back to what the English pubs were serving in the 1970's.  Old school indeed but absolutely crave-worthy. Sauteed shrimp, a simple side salad of watercress and avocado and a dusting of paprika certainly feels current. But oh, that Marie Rose sauce.  It is what makes the dish.  A sauce I had never heard of but when I checked with my English friend she said, "oh yes, of course" with great familiarity. If a unique, flavorful sauce made of mayo, booze, Worcestershire, lemon and ketchup sounds odd to you, I wholeheartedly agree. But I found it intriguing enough to give this recipe a try, knowing that it would either be out-of-this-world or not so much. Well that was two years ago and since I am sharing this recipe and since I have prepared it numerous times, it's obvious that my declaration for this dish is "out of this world".  It's simple, satisfying and surprisingly light. I am just going to ask you to trust me on this one. 

Shrimp, Avocado And Watercress With Marie Rose Sauce

1/2 Haas avocado, peeled, seeded and cut into bite size chunks

1 bunch watercress

all-purpose flour

1/2 lb large shrimp, peeled and cleaned

olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 heaped t paprika

- and for the Marie Rose sauce

1/4 c reduced fat Vegenaise

2 t Annie's organic ketchup

1 t Worcestershire

1 t whiskey

1 lemon, divided

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make the Marie Rose sauce, mix together the Vegenaise, ketchup, Worcestershire, whiskey and juice from half the lemon in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and taste, adjusting seasonings and lemon juice if you like. Set aside.

Place about 1/4 c flour in another bowl and toss shrimp to coat. Heat 2 generous T of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, swirling to coat the pan. Add the garlic and then the shrimp, and stir. After 10 seconds, add a pinch of salt and pepper and the paprika. Stir shrimp, keeping them in a single layer. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes, until shrimp is crisp and golden. 

Divide avocado among 2 plates. Top the avocado with the watercress. Place shrimp, evenly divided on both plates, next to the salads. Drizzle a few spoonfuls of sauce over the salads. Finish the salads with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of paprika. Serve with wedges of lemon for squeezing. Fab!

Serves 2.

Source: Adapted from Jamie's Food Revolution