More throw back appetizers
A Perfect Shrimp Cocktail
Cocktail Sauce with a kick, and a generous platter of chilled jumbo shrimp—this elegant party nibble is all your guests really want (along with Baked Brie of course). Coats will barely be off before they’re all making a beeline for the shrimp cocktail. It’s considered an official TMP shrimp cocktail best practice to keep a LOT of chilled shrimp in the fridge to replenish the platter frequently. We’ve got plenty of great shrimp recipes up our sleeves: Steamed Shrimp, Cream Cheese Shrimp Dip, Shrimp Scampi, Shrimp Louie, and Coconut Shrimp all take the cake.
Ingredients For Homemade Cocktail Sauce
Ketchup—a classic recipe calls for classic ketchup, so for this one, we use Heinz
Hot horseradish sauce—we love the Beaver Brand
Worcestershire sauce
Dijon mustard
Tabasco sauce
Applesauce
Lemon zest
How To Cook Shrimp For Shrimp Cocktail
When it comes to cooking shrimp for shrimp cocktail, the name of the game is POACH. Steamed Shrimp also works well for this recipe. Like all shellfish, you want to have a light touch when cooking shrimp. Here’s how to poach shrimp so that they turn out perfectly shrimp cocktail-ready:
Boil water! Actually, boil lemon-y water—but we’ll talk more about that lemon-y poaching liquid in a sec.
Simmer down. Once the water has come to a boil, bring the heat down to a gentler simmer—poaching is a delicate art that requires a delicate simmer.
Add the shrimp, shell-on. Shrimp will retain a lot more flavor if you poach them with their shells on. You’ll peel them after they’re cooked.
Poach! A two-step process. First, simmer the shrimp gently for four minutes. Second, kill the heat and let them sit in the water for two more minutes.
Drain! Don’t rinse them, but do let them cool. And as soon as they’re cool enough to touch, peel them and devein them.
Chill! You want to get a good chill on those perfectly-poached crustaceans—at least two hours.
How To Make Shrimp Cocktail
Forget those store-bought platters. Shrimp cocktail should be SO much better than that. Here’s how to make the best prawn cocktail your friends have ever had:
Poach shrimp! See above for everything you need to know about how to poach shrimp.
Make the cocktail sauce. Just a quick whisk and you’re good to go! Ketchup flavor profiles and horseradish spiciness can vary a lot from brand to brand. So, do buy the brands we’ve called out if you want to really replicate our exact recipe.
Crush ice! Spread it into a platter right before serving, as a nice, icy bed for your poached shrimp.
Party! Serve it up, and watch it disappear.
How to Store Shrimp Cocktail + Tips
You can flavor the shrimp poaching liquid with any of the following: A whole onion, fresh parsley, celery, bay leaves, white wine, black peppercorns, lemon halves
Make the cocktail sauce ahead of time—at least an hour or two, but you could even do it the night before! Store it in the fridge. This will allow the flavors to meld and marry, making it extra delicious.
Cocktail sauce can be made up to 4 days in advance. Leftover shrimp can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days, just be sure to store only what has been chilled continuously on ice.
More Great Shrimp Recipes From The Modern Proper
The Best Shrimp Cocktail Ever
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