Recipes

[Chi-town girl]

When we want shrimp cocktail at home, it’s easy enough to buy some precooked shrimp (maybe already arranged in a ring) and a jar of cocktail sauce and set it out for people to munch on. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s tasty and easy.

However, if you want an ultimate shrimp cocktail, an experience like those steakhouse appetizers, you need to do a bit more. Not much more, mind you. Homemade shrimp cocktail is still surprisingly simple to do.

First, make your own cocktail sauce. It uses ingredients that you probably already have at home. Ketchup mixed with horseradish and a pinch of salt are the basics. Make sure that you have a good-tasting horseradish sauce. Taste it by itself and make sure you like it. I prefer the prepared horseradish, over horseradish sauce, and specifically the prepared horseradish that is sold in jars in the refrigerated section of the grocery store with the refrigerated pickles. It tends to have a spicier and more robust flavor.

After the ketchup, horseradish, and salt, you can also add a bit of Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and/or hot sauce (like Tabasco).

For a really great shrimp cocktail, you want to go with large shrimp. I use a 21-25 count, which means there are 21-25 shrimp per pound. Buy them deveined and easy peel, but uncooked. Whether they’re peeled or not already doesn’t matter. If they’re not peeled, you can either peel them while raw or you can cook them and then peel them. Either way, make sure that you leave the tail on.

Easy peel shrimp have had the peel cut down the outside to get out the vein and then there is a cut around the tail. This makes it easy to remove the peel while leaving the tail intact. You want the tail because it makes a nice presentation and acts as a handle for your shrimp.

You’ve got your raw shrimp, now you’ve got to cook them. The best way to cook shrimp for shrimp cocktail is to poach them gently. My preferred method is to bring a pot of salted water to the boil. You can add some aromatics first like some lemon juice and lemon wedges, peppercorns, and a good handful of fresh parsley leaves. Those items are optional though. The only thing that’s required is the water and salt.

Once the water has reached a really good boil, take it completely off of the heat and let the boil subside. Then add your shrimp. Put the lid on the pot and let the shrimp cook in the heat that remains in the water. It will take 4-7 minutes. Check at that point – the shrimp are done when they’re opaque and pink.

The timing depends on how many shrimp you’re cooking and how much water you had. In a 3 quart saucepan 3/4 full of water, you can add 12 shrimp and they’ll cook in about 4 minutes. If you want to cook more shrimp, use a bigger pot and more water.

While the shrimp are cooking, fill a large bowl with cold water and a lot of ice. Once the shrimp are cooked, remove them from the hot water (leave the aromatics behind and discard them after). Put the shrimp into the bowl of ice water and let them chill completely. After that, you can serve them immediately or drain them and refrigerate for up to 12 hours before serving.

Why poach the shrimp this way? The less intense heat is gentle on the shrimp. They don’t tense and curl up as much but retain something close to their uncooked size and shape. This poaching method also results in very tender and juicy shrimp.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 24 large shrimp (21–25 count per pound, raw, deveined and easy peel, thawed*)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 of a lemon (optional)
• 8–10 peppercorns (optional)
• a handful of fresh parsley (optional)
• 1 cup ketchup
• 2 Tbsp. horseradish
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tsp. lemon juice (optional)
• 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (optional)
• 1/2 tsp. hot sauce, like Tabasco (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Fill a large saucepan 3/4 full of water.
2. Add salt.
3. If using lemon, squeeze the juice of the lemon into the pot and add the peel and flesh once squeezed. Add the peppercorns and parsley if using.
4. Bring the pot to a rapid boil over high heat.
5. Remove from the heat and let it stop boiling.
6. Add the shrimp. Stir. Put the lid on the saucepan.Cover the pot. Let sit for 4-5 minutes, until shrimp are opaque and pink.
7. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath: In a large bowl put two cups of ice cubes and fill halfway with cold water.
8. When shrimp are cooked, drain off the hot liquid and transfer shrimp (but not the aromatics) to the ice bath. Let them sit in there for a few minutes to fully cool off before draining.
9. Peel shrimp but leave the tails on
10. In a medium bowl, combine the ketchup, horseradish, pinch of salt, and the lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce, if using.
11. Taste, add more horseradish if desired.
12. Divide sauce among 4 small bowls or wine glasses or martini glasses.
13. Hang shrimp from the rims. Serve immediately.

[Sooner]

@Chi-town girl Wonderful!  Thanks.

Also, buy USA wild caught and processed shrimp!  And a little variation:  skip the cute glass, grab some 16-20 per pounders and give yourself half a pound and some sauce on a plate!  

That's the best meal you can get!  Salad or slaw on the side if you must!  

[amyb]

Another tasty way to have it is Ina Garten's "Roasted Shrimp Cocktail" (recipe is on FoodNetwork's website.)

We used to make this on Christmas Eve for appetizers and recently made it again this year on New Year's day...so delicious.

We sometimes will just make it for dinner, with salad on the side.

Simply seasoned with salt/pepper and roasted, squeeze of lemon with cocktail sauce. I love them just boiled too, but for a change this is so good, and brings out the flavor in a different way.

[50Mickey]

@Sooner . I agree with you about buying wild caught USA shrimp. Farm raised have a different taste and texture. The best shrimp come from the salty water of the Atlantic ocean. When I lived on the coast of GA I could go to the docks and buy shrimp right from the shrimp boats. Now I can find frozen wild caught shrimp at Fresh Market. Not as good as fresh caught but better than imported or farm raised. 

[4kitties]

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@amyb wrote:

Another tasty way to have it is Ina Garten's "Roasted Shrimp Cocktail" (recipe is on FoodNetwork's website.)

We used to make this on Christmas Eve for appetizers and recently made it again this year on New Year's day...so delicious.

We sometimes will just make it for dinner, with salad on the side.

Simply seasoned with salt/pepper and roasted, squeeze of lemon with cocktail sauce. I love them just boiled too, but for a change this is so good, and brings out the flavor in a different way.

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Yes!  After roasting shrimp, Ina's way, I will never eat them boiled or steamed again.  The roasting brings out so much flavor!  

[pupwhipped]

I make it easy on myself and use Zatarain's Seafood Boil (below) for cooking the shrimp. And I use the same sauce ingredients mentioned except I don't use all ketchup. I use equal parts of ketchup and chili sauce. And I like lots and lots and lots of horseradish. I enjoy my shrimp and clear my sinuses at the same time. 🥵 LOL!!! 

 

[KingstonsMom]

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@50Mickey wrote:

@Sooner . I agree with you about buying wild caught USA shrimp. Farm raised have a different taste and texture. The best shrimp come from the salty water of the Atlantic ocean. When I lived on the coast of GA I could go to the docks and buy shrimp right from the shrimp boats. Now I can find frozen wild caught shrimp at Fresh Market. Not as good as fresh caught but better than imported or farm raised. 

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@50Mickey 

Hmmm, you must have lived where I live, Savannah, GA.

Nothing better than our local seafood; shrimp, oysters, crab, fish and more!

During our 'off season' for shrimping, I buy mine at Publix which is headquartered in Mayport, FL and ships it over ice to our GA Publix stores, never frozen, which changes the texture of shrimp.

FL has a much longer shrimping season, so I have access year 'round and I NEVER buy 'farm raised'.

Google 'farmed raised' seafood and most people wouldn't buy it either.

BTW, you're missing our annual St. Patricks Day celebration, it's 5 full days this year!

[Sooner]

@KingstonsMom I'd give a lot right now for some hot crispy grouper bites.  And soft shelled crab?  Heaven!

Shrimp?  I have an issue with only five or so. . . 

[kathie66]

@Chi-town girl Thank you!!!!

[deepwaterdotter]

I skip the ice bath route by stirring the ice cubes right into the pot of cooked shrimp:

2 lbs deveined, shell-on 16/20 shrimp

2 1/2 tbsp salt

2 tsp peppercorns

3 bay leaves

1/2 tsp celery seed

2 lemons

8 cups ice cubes

Cut lemon peel into strips.  Juice lemon halves to get 1/4 cup juice.  Keep juiced halves.

Stir shrimp, 4 cups cold water, salt, peppercorns, bay leaves, and celery seed in pot.  Cook until water reaches 170 degrees and shrimp begin to turn pink.

Take pot off heat and stir in lemon peels, juice, and juiced halves.  Cover and let sit until shrimp are fully pink and firm.  Stir ice into pot and let sit until cooled, about 5 minutes.  Drain water and peel shrimp, leaving tails on.  Refrigerate until serving with your favorite cocktail sauce.  (I stir together 1 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup horseradish, 1 tsp Worcestershire, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp Old Bay, and 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper.)