Shrimp Cocktail

I get excited whenever I see shrimp cocktail on the menu at a restaurant. I’ve always thought that jumbo shrimp served with cocktail sauce makes a delicious starter. And, sometimes even as the main course; I love shrimp cocktail that much. 

I remember the first time having shrimp cocktail was at our family Christmas dinner years ago. At the time I worked at a local seafood restaurant and was waiting tables on Christmas Eve. When we closed that night, several seafood platters had not been picked up, so my manager gave me two of them to take home. We served them the next day before we sat down to Christmas dinner. Since then, having shrimp cocktail at our family Christmas gathering has become a tradition.

Over the years, I have tried many different shrimp cocktails, some great and some not so great. I have discovered that the secret to a good shrimp cocktail is the freshness and flavor of the shrimp and the tanginess and bite of the cocktail sauce. I have been working on coming up with a recipe for both the cooked shrimp and the cocktail sauce that I could make at home.

The key for making the shrimp is using really fresh shrimp and cooking them in a flavored liquid. Making it at home with these flavorings and with this method tastes so much better than the precooked ones you can buy. I would much rather cook them at home than buy them in a store. But that’s just how I roll.

It’s very important to submerge the shrimp in an ice bath immediately after cooking. This keeps the shrimp from overcooking and becoming rubbery. You can get fancy with the garnish when you serve the shrimp cocktail, such as adding some herbs & lemon or lettuce or serve it on a bed of ice. But I personally think it’s simply about the perfectly cooked sweet shrimp dipped into a tangy cocktail sauce. Nothing more. Mouth watering!

Shrimp Cocktail

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Ingredients

• 2 Pounds Extra Large Raw Shrimp (peeled, deveined with tail on)
• 1 Tablespoon Salt
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 2 Teaspoons Granulated Garlic
• 2 Teaspoons Black Peppercorns
• 1/2 Cup White Wine
• Lemon Wedges (optional garnish)

Directions

Rinse shrimp under cold water and set aside. Bring a medium pot of water to a rolling boil. Add shrimp to boiling water and cook for 2 1/2 - 3 minutes. Water may never come back to a boil. Shrimp are done when they turn pink and are slightly firm.
Once shrimp is done, remove from boiling water and submerge in ice bath for five minutes.
Remove from ice bath and drain excess water off. Refrigerate for a few hours before serving.
Serve with your favorite cocktail sauce and optional lemon wedges.