the traditional 'shrimp cocktail' found in the Mexican state of Jalisco.
In Jalisco this cocktail is served either warm or chilled, but heating the soup knocks down the delightful citrus bite that gives this dish its emphemerial and seductive character.
This version draws on the Hawaiian Islands for additional inspiration, adding a variety of seafood and tropical fruit to enrich the stock and to tantalize the palette with a deeper, more complex flavor, while retaining the bright fresh tastes of chiles and lime.
Although this soup will hold for a short time refrigerated, it is best served fresh. Part of the charm of the dish is the interplay of several distinct taste sensations that fade as the soup sits and its flavors meld.
Begin with a pound of large shrimp, raw, in their shells. If the heads are still on, so much the better. rinse in cold water and store on a bed of crushed ice while you wait for the water to boil.
In a large pot -- one that holds at least 5 quarts of water -- bring clean filtered spring water to a boil. Clorine from the tap water will mask the subtle flavor of this soup. To the boiling water add a couple of large peeled carrots, several stalks of cleaned celery including the leafy tops, and an onion, whole, peel removed, and stuck with several whole cloves. Cut an orange, two limes and a lemon in half and add those to the simmering water.
After boiling the vegetables and fruit for 15-20 minutes add the shrimp. Continue to boil for a minute (a scant minute) and remove all the shrimp as quickly as possible with a slotted spoon or skimmer.
Let the shrimp cool and finish cooking, and when cool enough to handle remove the heads and shell. Return the heads and shells to the water and continue to simmer this broth for an hour or more, adding water as necessary to maintain sufficient stock. Devein and chill the shrimp.
In a separate pot bring a small amount of the stock to a boil and add a half pound of bay scallops, a half pound of steamer clams and a half pound of sliced calamari rings. Steam the seafood just until the clams open and remove the seafood for the stock onto a bed of ice. Return the stock to the original pot. Remove the clams from their shells, reserving any liquid they retain, and place the clams, their juice, and scallops and calamari into a lime juice marinade with finely diced white onions and jalapenos.
As the body of the stock simmers, prepare vegetables. Cut into a fine dice one very large white onion, two or three fresh green seeded jalapeno peppers (or more, according to taste), one or two ripe red seeded serrano peppers and, if desired, one or two ripe habanero peppers. Cut into a medium dice two peeled and seeded medium ripe tomatoes, one large peeled and seeded cucumber, two ripe medium avocatos, and one large skinned and de-seeded papaya. Slice into a thin chiffronade a handful of fresh cilantro. Squeeze several limes and reserve juice.
In a small bowl mix two parts tomato ketchup with one part carbonated orange soft drink and one part bottled clam broth to create a thin sauce-like mixture. To this mixture add a dusting of ground cumin, red chile powder, and granulated garlic. Mix well and chill for at least an hour.
Strain the stock through a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth into a clean pot. Chill, then skim all residue that has floated to the top.
To serve: place five or six of the shrimp, and some of the calamari/scallops/clam mixture, along with teh marinade into a large bowl, add a tablespoon each of the diced vegatables and two tablespoons of the sauce. Pour the chilled broth over the vegetables and shrimp and sauce then stir until the broth has turned a uniform red color.
Garnish with a generous sprinkle of cilantro and a teaspoon or more of fresh lime juice
This should make about six bowls of soup.