Classic Shrimp Cocktail
Enjoy this delicious shrimp cocktail as an appetizer or extra-special snack. The homemade cocktail sauce is amazing!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds extra jumbo shrimp, about 20 per pound
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 2/3 cup chili sauce *
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish, optional
- Dash salt, or to taste
- A few drops of Tabasco sauce, or to taste
- Lemon wedges, for serving, optional
Instructions
- Prep the shrimp. Peel the shrimp, leaving the tails on. With a sharp knife, make a shallow cut down the back of the shrimp and remove the dark veins. Rinse under cold water. Fill a bowl with ice and water; set aside.
- Cook the shrimp. Bring a pot of salted water (1 tablespoon salt per quart) to a boil and add the shrimp. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink and slightly, to resemble a loose "C." Immediately transfer the cooked shrimp to the ice water to stop the cooking process.
- Chill the shrimp. Drain, cover the bowl, and refrigerate the shrimp until serving time.
- Make the cocktail sauce. In a bowl, combine the ketchup, chili sauce, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, salt, and Tabasco sauce. Stir to blend thoroughly. Cover and chill the sauce until serving time.
- Serve. Serve the shrimp ice cold with the cocktail sauce.
Notes
* Note: This recipe uses classic American-style chili sauce, such as Heinz. It’s a thick, tomato-based condiment with mild spices — not to be confused with Asian chili-garlic sauce, which is much hotter and more pungent. Look for it near the ketchup in the condiments aisle.
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