Shrimp Cocktail

During the holiday season, it’s easy to find pre-cooked shrimp cocktail with sauce already prepared at your local grocery store. But preparing your own shrimp cocktail is easy to do and tastes so much better. I like to use raw jumbo shrimp (at least 16-24 count per pound) that has been peeled and deveined, with tail-on.

For the Shrimp:

  • 2 Lbs Raw, peeled & deveined shrimp
  • 1 Lemon, cut in half
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tsp peppercorn
  • 4 bunches fresh parsley
  • 1tsp salt
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 T Old Bay

Instructions:

  • Add 8 cups of water to a large saucepan and mix in all ingredients except the shrimp. 
  • Over high heat, bring the water to a boil for 2-3 minutes to incorporate the spices. 
  • Add the shrimp and immediately turn off the heat. Let the shrimp cook until they turn pink, about 3 minutes. 
  • Do not overcook. 
  • Once pink, quickly remove the shrimp into a colander, and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. 
  • Place the shrimp on a platter of ice and serve with cocktail sauce.

Cocktail Sauce:

  • 1 C ketchup
  • 1/4 Chorseradish
  • 1 T lemon juice
  • 1 tsp Worsestershire
  • Dash Hot sauce
  • pinch salt
  • pinch pepper

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to use. I like my sauce a little spicy. For a milder sauce, you can reduce the amount of horseradish.