Shrimp cocktail is a delicious appetizer made with juicy, succulent shrimp and a tangy, flavorful cocktail sauce.Â
Want to take your shrimp cocktail game to the next level? Skip the frozen stuff and go homemade! Not only is it easy to make, but the freshness and flavor cannot be beaten. No preservatives or additives, just pure, juicy goodness in every bite.  Â
Homemade Shrimp Cocktail
Easy and delicious method for juicy, succulent shrimp and a tangy cocktail sauce,
Equipment
- 1 stainless steel steamer basket or colander
Ingredients
Shrimp
- 1 lb Shrimp, peeled and deveined medium or large Do not throw away the shells
- 1 stalk Celery roughly chopped
- 1/2 Onion roughly chopped
- 1 Carrot roughly chopped optional
- 3 cloves Smashed garlic
- 1 tbsp old bay seasoning
- 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
- 1 whole Lemon
- optional items, fresh parsley, thyme, fennel
Cocktail sauce
- 1 cup Ketchup
- 4 tsp Prepared horseradish
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 tsp celery salt optional
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Shrimp
- In a deep pot, add about 2 quarts of water, all the aromatics, and the shrimp shells bring to a boil.
- Simmer on a low boil for 30 minutes.
- It is important to let your shrimp set out at room temperature for this 30 minutes. Dropping cold shrimp into the court bouillon will drop the temperature and cause uneven cooking.
- Place half of your shrimp in a stainless steel steamer basket.
- Drop the basket into the court bouillon and let poach for 2 minutes for medium shrimp to 3 minutes for large shrimp.
- Remove the shrimp to a tray or plate on a peice of parchment or wax paper and place immediately into the fridgerator.
- Repeat with the remaning half of the shrimp.
- Make sure the shrimp stays in the fridge for at least 5 minutes before serving
Cocktail sauce
- Combine the ketchup, lemon juice, horseradish, and Worcestershire sauce salt and pepper in a small bowl. Add hot sauce, if desired. Mix well, then refrigerate until ready to serve.
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