Phyllo Pastry Cups with Avocado Mousse and Shrimp: The Chic and Quick Finger Fish Appetizer
Looking for a refined, fresh appetizer that’s ready in no time? The solution is these delightful crispy phyllo pastry baskets filled with soft avocado mousse and sautéed shrimp.
This recipe combines contrasting textures—the crispiness of phyllo dough and the creaminess of avocado—with a fresh, light taste perfect for impressing your guests at an aperitif, summer dinner, or Christmas holidays.
A Marriage of Flavors: Phyllo Pastry, Avocado, and Shrimp
I love phyllo pastry; it’s a super versatile base that offers an elegant alternative to classic crostini or canapés. Simple to shape in small muffin tins, it transforms into golden, light cups, the ideal frame for the filling.
The heart of the recipe is the avocado mousse: creamy, healthy, and naturally velvety. The avocado pairs perfectly with the delicate, slightly sweet flavor of the shrimp, creating a Mediterranean taste balance that captivates at the first bite.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
They seem like high-cuisine preparations, but they are incredibly easy and quick to make.
The “crunch” of the phyllo pastry cup meets the softness of the mousse, creating an elegant contrast of textures. Moreover, it is a light dish that doesn’t weigh you down, ideal for summer or as a finger food welcome at your special occasions.
Follow the steps to create your perfect appetizer. You will need 3 sheets of phyllo pastry, a ripe avocado, cream cheese, fresh or thawed shrimp, a touch of lemon (or lime), and EVO oil.
The preparation is intuitive: just brush the phyllo pastry with a little oil, layer the sheets in the molds, and bake until golden. Meanwhile, in a few minutes, you can prepare the mousse by blending the avocado, cream cheese, and lemon juice, and sauté the shrimp for a few minutes.
Combine everything just before serving to ensure maximum freshness and crispiness!
Here are more ideas to enrich your Christmas buffet:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 35 Minutes
- Portions: 12 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Electric Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Christmas, All seasons
Ingredients
⚠ THIS RECIPE CONTAINS ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; purchasing them through my blog helps support me and my work, while it won’t cost you anything extra!
- 3 sheets phyllo pastry
- 1 as needed extra virgin olive oil
- 5.3 oz shrimp (already peeled)
- 1 clove garlic
- 0.7 oz white wine
- 1 bunch parsley
- 0.7 oz extra virgin olive oil
- as needed salt
- as needed mixed peppercorns
- 3.5 oz cream cheese
- 1 avocado
- A few drops lemon juice
- as needed salt
- as needed mixed peppercorns
- A few leaves parsley
- A few lemon zest
Tools
- 1 Tweezers
- 1 Colander
- 1 Pan
- 1 Mezzaluna Knife
- 1 Brush
- 1 Muffin Tin
- 1 Knife
- 1 Mixer
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Piping Bag
Steps
Preparing these phyllo pastry cups is really easy. Start with the shrimp: wash them under running water and remove the dark intestinal vein, making an incision with the tip of a knife along the back and gently pulling it out with a special pair of tweezers.
In a pan, sauté the garlic clove with oil and finely chopped parsley with a mezzaluna knife over low heat for a couple of minutes.
Add the shrimp and let them cook for another minute until they turn pink. Do not overcook, or they will become tough.
Add a splash of white wine. Flambé over high heat until the alcohol evaporates and your shrimp caramelize. It will only take a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Brush the first sheet of phyllo pastry with oil, making sure to keep the others covered with a dry towel to prevent them from drying out.
Layer the second sheet over the first, brush it in the same way, and proceed with the third.
Once this operation is completed, cut the sheets into squares of about 4.7×4.7 inches.
Grease a muffin tin with oil and line each cavity with three squares of phyllo pastry, trying to offset them, not aligning the corners, and shaping them into a basket.
Bake in a static oven at 356°F for up to 6-7 minutes, or until lightly golden. Once ready, set them aside to cool.
For the filling: wash and cut the avocado in half, remove the pit and skin.
Cut the avocado into pieces and transfer it to the bowl of a mixer with cream cheese and a few drops of lemon.
Adjust salt and pepper, turn on the mixer, and blend for a few seconds.
You should obtain a creamy, thick, and velvety mixture.
Now you’re ready to stuff your baskets. Transfer the avocado mousse into a disposable piping bag like I did, or use a simple teaspoon. Arrange it on the bottom of each basket until filled.
Garnish each basket with some shrimp.
Decorate with lemon zest and a few whole parsley leaves.
And voilà… the phyllo pastry cups with avocado mousse and shrimp are ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appétit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Storage
👉Storing phyllo pastry cups with avocado cream and shrimp requires attention to preserve the crispness of the pastry and the freshness of the ingredients. Already filled product: They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 day in an airtight container. However, it is advisable to consume them within a few hours, as the moisture from the cream tends to soften the phyllo pastry quickly.
Empty baskets: If not yet filled, the cooked baskets can be stored for up to 3 days at room temperature in a dry place protected from moisture (e.g., a tin box). Avocado cream: If prepared in advance, it should be consumed within 1 day to prevent it from turning brown (oxidation). Add lemon juice and cover with cling film.
Tips, Notes, Variations, and Suggestions
🟣You can personalize and enrich the avocado mousse with lime, lemon zest, chili pepper, or herbs to taste.
🟣Instead of shrimp: for people with a food allergy to shrimp, and therefore to shellfish (lobster, crab, scampi, etc.), it is possible to enrich the phyllo pastry cups with sturgeon or smoked salmon or pieces of monkfish seared in a pan for 3′-4′ on each side until they become golden and the meat is tender and juicy. If you want to prepare a vegetarian version, you can replace the fish with sun-dried tomatoes in oil or garnish with a simple pistachio crumble.
