Plated + Served: Classic Shrimp Cocktail
There is something so elegant about Classic Shrimp Cocktail… I dare say, even glamorous.
Maybe it’s the presentation: Huge shrimp perched on the side of a fancy glass, waiting to be delicately dipped into a pool of spicy cocktail sauce.
A great shrimp cocktail starts with shrimp that are perfectly cooked and then chilled quickly so they don’t become rubbery. The sauce is equally important, with just enough kick to balance the sweetness of the shrimp.
This is an easy, and always impressive, appetizer you can make year round. But for all its simplicity, the holidays always seem to make this old-school favorite even more special.
Classic Shrimp Cocktail
prep: 30 minutes
cook: 7 minutes
for the shrimp you’ll need…
2 pounds shell-on jumbo or colossal shrimp (I used colossal, 13 to 15 count)
1 tablespoon salt
3 sprigs fresh rosemary or thyme
2 bay leaves
for the cocktail sauce you’ll need…
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 lemon, cut into wedges with seeds removed
let’s get to it…
Combine shrimp, salt, rosemary or thyme and bay leaves in a large pot with enough water to cover. Cook on medium-high heat, stirring often, for 5 to 7 minutes or until the shrimp are pink all over. Drain immediately into a colander; cover with ice. Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving tails on. Refrigerate.
Mix the ketchup, lemon juice, horseradish, Worcestershire and cayenne pepper in a bowl until well blended.
Spoon the cocktail sauce evenly into a ramekin or decorative glass with a wide mouth (a Martini glass is perfect). Make a small cut on the inside of the shrimp (where the legs were) so shrimp can rest on the lip of the glass. Divide shrimp evenly between the cocktail sauce-filled glasses. Serve with a slice of lemon.
I love love love fresh shrimp!
Me too!!!! And the bigger the better!
That’s so great, I didnt’ realize how simple it was to make a shrimp cocktail sauce 🙂 Thanks for the recipe! Have a great one! -Iva
I know… and you can make it as spicy as you want!