Shrimp co*cktail Recipe (2024)

Sounds yummy. However, as a Louisianaian who makes stovetop boiled shrimp regularly, I have one suggestion. Always cook your shrimp unpeeled, then peel them afterwards. If you are cooking them in a sauce or butter this isn’t practical but it works in clean recipes. Shrimp shrink substantially while cooking. Large succulent shrimp on a platter are much more appealing and tasty than shriveled ones. They seem to maintain tenderness as well.

For the retro co*cktail sauce I prefer co*cktail sauce, the ketchupy kind, instead of regular ketchup. I think it makes a more interesting product. I also add more horseradish, homemade when fresh horseradish is available, and ditch the Tabasco. Tabasco just brings heat and not much else. I prefer the sinus clearing horseradish for my heat.

Not ketchup! The other Heinz product - Chilie Sauce.

The piece de resistance for my co*cktail sauce is the addition of chopped celery leaves. There, my secret is out.

That co*cktail sauce sounds great but would be elevated with a dash of Worcestershire sauce.

I love the idea of multiple sauces - so stupidsimple and clearly I was stuck in a rut! I much prefer a quick roast for shrimp co*cktail - peel leaving tails. Ross with salt and a bit of olive oil. Let sit for 10 mins. Roast at 400 spread out on a baking sheet for 6 - 8 minutes and let cool. Love the texture - firm but not crispy, intense flavor, and not wet shrimp in wet sauce so sauce sticks better too!

I prefer to oven roast them, too. It enhances the flavor, unlike boiling them which dilutes flavor. (And I'd never serve cooked shrimp on a pile of ice which makes them wet.) My tip is to preheat the sheetpan in a 400 degree oven before you dump the shrimp on it and spread them out. They immediately start sizzling and cooking.

Great recipe and I agree with my friend from Louisiana; cook with shell on.

I am with Ina Garten on this one - always roast your shrimp. Dry with paper towels, toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper and 8 minutes on a sheet pan in a 400 degree oven. Dassit. No poached shrimp can stand up to that.

Really great, and the key move here is to cool the cooking liquid with the ice. Works a treat. One further tip. When you peel the shrimp, put the shells into the cooking liquid. The shells give a richness to the stock that is delicious. Simmer the shells for a couple of minutes, then scoop them out before putting in the shrimp. Both the dill/butter and particularly the honey/mustard sauce are fantastic.

Consider adding chopped parsley leaves and a tablespoon of gin to the co*cktail sauce.

forget the sugar. why does everything have to be sweet?

I agree with the above chef. I use a recipe of about four parts horseradish to one part ketchup, and that’s the way I like it.

I would think if the recipe indicates you cook an ingredient that it's safe to say it's raw.

Recipes don't specify beef, pork, chicken, lamb, fish, or other shellfish as raw, either.

I love Eric’s spice tip in those recipes. Savory with a hint of spice. My guests raved about the flavor. I will never buy co*cktail sauce again!

The shrimp were the hit of the party so this will be my go to recipe. I used the recipe for the red sauce but I think I will use my own recipe the next time.

Cooking the shrimp this way is a game changer, it adds so much flavor and you could easily enjoy these shrimp solo. That said, don't skip the curry honey mustard! Unique and delish.

Made for lunch on Christmas Day. Followed the recipe exactly and was underwhelmed. I prefer the oven roasted approach (Ina Garten et al.). Won't make this again.

I made the whole shebang, including sauces, the day before. I think the day in the refrigerator helped the flavors of the sauces. It was ready for my guests, no prep needed. Only change: I cooked the shrimp shells-on.

Made exactly to the recipe and it was great. Those who want to use the oven should use a different recipe (Ina Garten’s). If you want that traditional but somehow elevated shrimp co*cktail, this is it. I used 16/18 per pound shrimp which felt luxurious yet approachable to grab for a dip and bite. The curry dejonaise is amazing. I used store bought but fresh made co*cktail sauce. I did not make the butter sauce.

I added a quarter cup of onion powder to the water, along with the directed ingredients. It was a tasty addition. I’ve made this recipe three times in the last month, it’s become a thing

So delicious and easy to prepare. Definitely a keeper recipe and go-to appetizer for a crowd.

Be careful when adding salt. Cut amount on raw shrimp before cooking. Cut amount added to water.

My mother's family is from the Eastern shore of Maryland and goes back to the mid-1600s. The family's history through the mid-1900s consisted mostly of Chesapeake Bay watermen and Eastern shore potato farmers. I went to many crab and shrimp feasts and they always steamed both with some form of Old Bay or Wye River Crab House style seasoning. However, the technique in this recipe is an excellent idea that I look forward to employing at my next opportunity.

I used 1/4 cup of salt in the boil and 2 Tbs of Old Bay seasoning (as I didn’t have celery seed), and 1 tsp of sweet paprika. Boiled for 2 minutes as directed and lifted the shrimp into a bowl of ice, tossing until the ice melt, then refrigerated. I made the co*cktail sauce as stated, but l left out the red pepper as some folks in my tribe don’t do spicy.

May I also suggest that you try lime juice instead of lemon juice in the co*cktail sauce? Or half lemon and half lime? Give it a shot. It's just a slightly different twist in flavor.

What about substituting celery salt for the salt & celery seeds?

Definitely chili sauce rather than ketchup!

Mark Bittman’s poached shrimp recipe in Cooks Illustrated has you peeling and deveining the shrimp.Then poaching the shrimp in a stock created from the shells and other ingredients.I’ve never had a better shrimp co*cktail than these