Christy's Mega Shrimp Cocktail

Christy's in Coral Gables serves shrimp that look as juiced up as the male stars of Jersey Shore. Locals often frequent the upscale eatery on the corner of Ponce de Leon Boulevard and Malaga Street simply for the shrimp cocktail. It gives new meaning to the famed oxymoron jumbo shrimp...

By Danielle Alvarez

July 7, 2010

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Christy's in Coral Gables serves shrimp that look as juiced up as the male stars of Jersey Shore.

Locals often frequent the upscale eatery on the corner of Ponce de Leon Boulevard and Malaga Street simply for the shrimp cocktail. It gives new meaning to the famed oxymoron jumbo shrimp. The dish is composed of four monstrous crustaceans. Their tails alone are almost two inches long. The shrimp are arranged in a crystal glass filled with house-made cocktail sauce and are garnished with juicy lemons.

The secret: Christy's server Wahid Yassin says the shrimp are shipped in weekly from Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Thailand. "We don't get anything from the Gulf, by the way," he adds.

Yassin credits consistency in size and taste to chef Marcus Polycarpe. He has prepared them for the past 20 years. For every 20 pounds of shrimp, Polycarpe adds a specific amount of sugar, salt, and pepper. He then boils them until they're plump and perfectly crisp. The cocktail sauce is prepared with horseradish, tomato sauce, and a touch of honey for a sweet kick.

While the shrimp are a tad pricey at $21, they are hearty and tasty enough to enjoy as an entrée.

Christy's
3101 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables
305-446-1400

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