Shrimp Cocktail is such a classic, a mainstay on restaurant menus. It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve had it – when they get it right it can be the highlight of the meal. The shrimp has to be firm, not floppy or spongy, and super, super cold. It’s got to be extra large or jumbo shrimp, none of that piddly stuff. And I like my cocktail sauce tangy, with extra horseradish, please.
If you love shrimp cocktail and look forward to it as a treat when you go to your favorite restaurants, I’ve got news for you: it’s incredibly easy to make at home. Shrimp poaches in three minutes or less; cocktail sauce contains four ingredients quickly stirred together. Make sure everything is fresh and served frigidly cold and you can’t go wrong.
You can go one of two ways when presenting shrimp cocktail: scatter it casually on a platter with a communal dish of cocktail sauce, or arrange individual servings. When I do individual servings I use martini glasses. Fill the glasses with crushed ice, hook the shrimp around the edge of the glass, and nestle a tiny cup of cocktail sauce in the center for dipping.
The martini glass presentation works best for a first course served at the table. For a more casual hors d’oeuvre, I like the platter approach, where everyone just dives in.
Use shrimp that are 21-25 count or larger (21 to 25 shrimp per pound). Larger shrimp cost more per pound, but if you want to splurge, go ahead and spoil yourself and your dinner companions. If you go larger, the shrimp will take a little longer to cook. Just refer to the description in the recipe and watch closely to determine when the shrimp are done cooking.
Making this ahead and what to do with leftovers:
- Both the shrimp and the cocktail sauce can be made ahead, and since you want to serve this appetizer ice cold, they both benefit from a little chilling time before serving.
- The cooked shrimp will keep for 2 or 3 days; any leftover cocktail sauce will keep much longer, up to several weeks.
Shrimp Cocktail
Ingredients
- 1 pound extra large shrimp (21 to 25 count), deveined, peeled but with tails left on
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, or ½ teaspoon Morton’s
- ½ teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
- ½ cup Heinz chili sauce
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon creamy bottled horseradish (or more, to taste)
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- Crushed ice for serving
- Lemon wedges for serving
Directions
- Step 1 Fill a very large saucepan with 1 inch of water. Add the salt and Old Bay. Bring the water to a simmer over high heat. Fill a large bowl with ice water and place it next to the stove.
- Step 2 As soon as the water reaches a simmer, toss in the shrimp and spread them out in as close to a single layer as the pan will allow. (If you don’t have a pan that’s big enough to hold all the shrimp at once, cook them in two batches.)
- Step 3 Immediately lower the heat to medium. The water should stop simmering, but will stay hot enough to poach the shrimp. Poach the shrimp for 2 to 3 minutes, using tongs to turn and rearrange the shrimp so that every piece cooks through evenly, and removing each piece as soon as it’s done. The shrimp are cooked when they curl into a C shape and no longer show any blue, raw color. Transfer the shrimp to the ice water bath as soon as they’re done – don’t overcook them.
- Step 4 Leave the shrimp in the ice bath for 10 minutes, then remove them to a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Blot them dry with more towels. If not serving right away, line a storage container with paper towel and transfer the shrimp to the container. Cover and chill until needed, and up to 2 days.
- Step 5 To make the cocktail sauce, combine the chili sauce, ketchup, horseradish and lemon juice. Taste and add more horseradish if you like your cocktail sauce spicy. The cocktail sauce can also be made ahead and kept chilled until needed.
- Step 6 Serve the shrimp on a bed of crushed ice with the cocktail sauce for dipping and lemon wedges for garnish.
