Recipe — 35 minutes · serves 4 as a starter · Easy
Shrimp Cocktail
The one that never leaves the counter at a party: big shrimp, poached just pink, chilled hard, and a cocktail sauce with real bite. Buy the shrimp frozen — it poaches straight from the freezer and stays tender.
Buy the fish for this recipe
Ingredients
- —1 lb large shrimp, shell-on or peeled (frozen)
- —1 lemon, halved, plus wedges to serve
- —1 tbsp sea salt
- —1 bay leaf (optional)
- —1/2 cup ketchup
- —2 tbsp prepared horseradish
- —1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- —1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- —Hot sauce, a few drops, to taste
- —To serve: lemon wedges and butter lettuce or crushed ice
Method
- 01
Thaw if you need to. Thaw overnight in the fridge, or under cold running water for 10 minutes, then pat dry. Frozen shrimp can also go straight in — add a minute to the poach.
- 02
Bring a large pot of water to a boil with the lemon halves, salt and bay leaf. Drop the shrimp in and pull them the moment they turn pink and curl into a loose C — 2 to 3 minutes. A tight O means overcooked.
- 03
Chill hard. Lift the shrimp straight into a bowl of ice water for 2 minutes, then drain and refrigerate until completely cold, at least 30 minutes. Cold shrimp is the whole point of a cocktail.
- 04
Make the sauce. Stir the ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire and hot sauce together with a pinch of salt. Taste it — it should bite first, then go sweet. Chill it too.
- 05
Serve. Peel if shell-on, leaving the tails on for handles. Hang the shrimp around a bowl of sauce, or fan them on a plate over crushed ice with lemon wedges.
From the counter: Shell-on shrimp poach better — the shell protects the meat and keeps it sweet. Peel after chilling and leave the tail on; that's the handle. Our three picks: Jumbo Prawns 8/12 for the grand version, Wild Argentine 21/25 for sweet and lobster-like, EZ Peel when you want the shell off fast.