Puerto Rican Shrimp with Crispy Onions & Avocado Salad

Ingredients

• 6 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 cup dark rum
• 1 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 6 juniper berries
• 1/2 lemon, zeste only
• 1 clove
• 1/2 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup dark molasses
• 1 cup orange juice

Crispy Onions

• 2 cups canola oil (for frying)
• 1 red onion, julienned
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

Avocado Salad

• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1/2 lemon, sliced
• 1 teaspoon chopped cilantro

Directions

1. 1

   To prepare shrimp, add all ingredients except shrimp to a small saucepan.

2. 2

   Heat to a boil and reduce by one-half.

3. 3

   Let cool, add shrimp, and marinate for two hours.

4. 4

   Cook the shrimp on a grill on in a grill pan for about a minute on each side (shrimp should just lose their translucency)- keep shrimp warm.

5. 5

   Next prepare crispy onions.

6. 6

   Heat oil in a deep fat fryer; soak onions in buttermilk, then dredge them in flour, and then fry in hot oil.

7. 7

   Drain well and keep warm.

8. 8

   To assemble dish, place fried onions in center of plate.

9. 9

   Add three avocado slices to corners of plate, and place shrimp on avocado slices.

10. 10

    Serve while warm, garnished with lemon and cilantro leaves.