Festive Shrimp Dip

Every time I serve this dip, people really seem to dig it and dig in. I usually forget about it until I'm in a pinch and need something that looks Christmassy or has good presentation. For the most part, you can find most of the ingredients abroad, tho' you may need to substitute American cream cheese with fromage blanc. Either way, the little ways you tweak it don't seem to alter the taste all that much.

What you'll need:

Serving platter

1 package of cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup mayo

1/4 c. sour cream

1 bag frozen shrimp (preferably without the tails on), thawed

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2-3 scallions (or leeks), diced

***1 bottle of cocktail sauce

***If you're lucky enough to have access to a commissary which stocks cocktail sauce, you're a happy chef. If not, you can make your own by combining horseradish and ketchup. Here in Tunisia there is no horseradish that we've found, which throws a wrench in the plan. I wouldn't prepare this dip without the cocktail sauce, so if you find that you can't get it, then you may have to save this recipe for another time.

Essentially this recipe requires you to create a pyramid-like layering effect. So if you have a wide platter (I use a triangular serving dish), you'll want to be able to spread this out on top of it. Don't use a small dish, unless you want to create a Leaning Tower of Pisa-like layering effect. Recipe for disaster, to be sure.

To start: With a hand mixer, mix together the sour cream, mayo, and cream cheese until smooth. With a spatula, spread the mixture around the base of the plate in a thin layer. Next, spread the cocktail sauce over the creamy mixture, leaving a small edge of the creamy white mixture visible. Then, spread the chopped and thawed shrimp in a layer atop the cocktail sauce, making sure to leave a thin edge of cocktail sauce visible. Green peppers make up the next layer, and again, you want to make sure to leave visible a small edge around the layer of shrimp. Add a layer of Mozzarella cheese, leaving the edge of green peppers visible at the edge. Next, add a layer of red peppers, continuing to leave the edge of Mozz. cheese visible. Next comes the layer of scallions, leaving an edge of red peppers visible. And finally comes the layer of halved cherry tomatoes, leaving visible the edge of scallions.

The point of creating a visible edge for each layer is to gradually decrease the size of each layer. Seeing the different layers provides for a nice presentation. It sounds like a lot of work, but really, just the chopping of the veggies is what takes the most time. The rest is a breeze.

I serve this with Tortilla chips (if I can find them), crackers, or chunks of bread. It's a really good starter. I know this because T's hubby Blake, a man who likes good food, told me so on Christmas. :) Enjoy.