Shrimp Cocktail with a Kick
Shrimp cocktail is always the first of the hors d’oeuvres to disappear! Why? The succulent shrimp is so crisp and refreshing to the palate, and the cocktail sauce kicks things up a notch and creates a lingering heat with each bite. The coolness of the chilled shrimp is ideal for softening the blow of the punch from the cayenne, horseradish, and Tabasco trio, so dig in and enjoy!
Yields approximately 2 dozen shrimp and 1 cup cocktail sauce
2 quarts water
2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Juice of 1 lemon, divided use
1 (1-pound) bag frozen, raw, uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
3⁄4 cup tomato purée
1⁄4 cup tomato paste
1⁄4 cup horseradish
Zest of 1⁄2 lemon
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
- For Shrimp: Bring water to a boil in a large stock pot. Stir in Old Bay, cayenne pepper, and the juice from 1⁄2 lemon until well blended. Add in raw shrimp and turn down heat. Simmer for about 2 minutes, or until shrimp is opaque/pink and the edges just start to curl. Remove from heat, strain, and place on ice to halt the cooking process.
- For Cocktail Sauce: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the leftover lemon juice, tomato purée, tomato paste, horseradish, lemon zest, and Tabasco sauce. Whisk until well blended and refrigerate along with the shrimp.
- Best served chilled with shrimp displayed evenly on a large platter, around a small serving dish of cocktail sauce centered in the middle, with lemon slices to garnish.
