Shrimp cocktail is a classic American dish. Probably derived from oysters Kirkpatrick, shrimp cocktail was invented sometime between 1894 and 1914. [1] X Research source Today, shrimp cocktail is among the most popular appetizers, and for good reason: It's simple, refined, and delicious. Even if you've never cooked shrimp cocktail before, it's not that hard, especially if you remember a few simple tricks.
Ingredients
Court Bouillon [2] X Research source
- 3 quarts room temperature water
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/2 onion, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon dried tarragon or 2 sprigs fresh tarragon
- 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1/2 lemon, along with juices
- 1 teaspoon dried black peppercorns
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup chili sauce
- 1/4 horseradish sauce
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
- 3 dashes hot sauce
- Pinch of salt
- 2 pounds jumbo shrimp, preferably fresh
- Ice-bath with 3 quarts of water
Steps
Method 1
Method 1 of 2:
Making the Court Bouillon
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Prepare court bouillon for a tastier shrimp cocktail. You've probably heard of bouillon cubes, right? They're added to hot water to make it more flavorful. Although you certainly don't need to make court bouillon, the addition of wine, herbs, and other seasonings takes this shrimp cocktail dish a couple steps closer to perfection.
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Add all the ingredients to a large, covered pot and bring to a boil. Don't worry about tying a bouquet garni. Just plop everything into your pot and bring to a boil. Stir once or twice to make sure that all the ingredients are well incorporated. Allow the court bouillon to boil for 20 extra minutes for a more intensely flavored broth.Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 2:
Making the Cocktail Sauce and Shrimp
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While the court bouillon is coming together, assemble your cocktail sauce. In a medium bowl, mix together ketchup, chili sauce, horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and salt. Stir until evenly mixed.
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Once mixed, cover cocktail sauce with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Allow to chill while the shrimp cook.
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Decide whether to cook with fresh or frozen shrimp. While fresh shrimp are superior in taste and texture, frozen shrimp can be perfectly acceptable if that's all you got. Just make sure to factor in extra cooking time if you do decide to use frozen shrimp.
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Cook shrimp with their shells if possible. It's a little bit of hassle to peel the shell from the shrimp at the end of the day, but the taste makes up for it. Shrimp with their tails and shells still on are said to taste better. [3] X Research source [4] X Research source
- Another option is to cook your shrimp with shells and tail on, and then peel them after cooking is complete.
- Look for shrimp that are "ready to peel." This simply means that they've been de-veined, so that you don't have to go through the hassle of removing their guts. If you want to de-vein shrimp yourself, check out this handy tutorial.
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Place the shrimp in the court bouillon and cook until their skin turns opaque. How you cook your shrimp will depend on two things: whether they are fresh or frozen, and how large they are.
- Fresh jumbo shrimp will take about 5 minutes to cook. Once they turn from translucent to opaque, they're ready to take out.
- Frozen (uncooked) shrimp generally take a bit longer. If you put them in the water, wait for the water to come back to a boil and then test one; they're usually finished when the water has returned to a boil. You can also defrost your shrimp first in cold water to make the cooking process go faster.
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When the shrimp have finished cooking, remove them from the court bouillon and shock them in the ice bath for 30 second. Shocking shrimp in the ice bath will halt the cooking process and keep them from becoming rubbery.
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Remove the shrimp from the ice bath with a slotted spoon and drain off thoroughly. Make sure the shrimp aren't wet before you assemble them.
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Assemble your shrimp, with or without shell, next to your bowl of homemade cocktail sauce. A classic placement is to surround your cocktail sauce with shrimp and lemon wedges on a bed of ice.Advertisement
Community Q&A
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QuestionWhat is the best way to defrost cooked frozen shrimp for shrimp cocktail?Community AnswerLeave them overnight in the fridge. If your fridge is kept very cold, it may take up to 2 days in the fridge.
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QuestionDo you cook shrimp frozen?Community AnswerNo, the shrimp should be thawed first to allow even cooking.
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QuestionWhen do I boil the shrimp?Community AnswerRaw shrimp needs to be thawed first in cold water. If it already thawed, peel it but leave on just the last segment and the tail itself. Be sure to remove all of the legs. Cook in boiling salt water for 3 minutes and then, using a slotted spoon, place immediately in ice water. Once completely cooled, rinse shrimp with water, place in bowl and cover with ice to chill. Put in fridge if you do this early before cooking the rest of the dinner.
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Article Summary
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To make shrimp cocktail, boil together water, white wine, onion, garlic, lemon, and seasonings to make a broth to cook your shrimp in. While the broth is boiling, prepare cocktail sauce by mixing ketchup, chili sauce, horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and salt. Put your cocktail sauce in the fridge, then cook your shrimp in the broth until they turn from translucent to opaque. Once they’re ready, put them in ice water to keep them from becoming rubbery, then remove and serve with your cocktail sauce. To learn how to cook both fresh and frozen shrimp, scroll down!
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