Brian in the Kitchen Recipes
BRIAN IN THE KITCHEN brought to you by Stittsworth Meats
December 31 2024
Whole New Years Eve Dinner - Shrimp Cocktail
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Choose the right shrimp. While there really is no wrong shrimp for shrimp cocktail, our recipe developers recommend medium or large shell-on shrimp for consistent results and bite-sized enjoyment.
Flavor the cooking liquid. Poach the shrimp in seasoned water known as court bouillon. You’ll add the shrimp to the pot with aromatics like carrot, celery, onion, garlic, lemon, parsley, thyme and bay leaves – but don’t worry too much about the exact ingredients. Leaving out one or two or subbing something like shallots instead of an onion is totally fine.
Poach, don’t boil. Keep your shrimp plump, tender and snappy by cooking them gently in hot — not boiling — liquid. Do this by dropping the shrimp into the pot and immediately removing it from the heat. Stir it occasionally and watch; the shrimp are done when they turn pink and curl a little at the ends, 2 to 3 minutes.
Make great cocktail sauce. A spot-on cocktail sauce takes just a handful of ingredients and a quick stir. And making it yourself has some advantages: You’re free to tailor the level of spice exactly to your taste and you’ll get the tang of freshly squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest that you can’t get out of a bottle. Homemade is better, and our test kitchen has the formula down.
Have fun serving them. Go restaurant-style and hook the tails over coupe or martini glasses filled with cocktail sauce. Make a bed of crushed ice and arrange the shrimp on top. Or choose a platter (shades of blue or green contrast nicely with the shrimp), spoon the sauce in an attractive bowl and garnish the presentation with lemon wedges or wheels.
Which Shrimp to Use for Shrimp Cocktail
What Size? While there's no wrong shrimp size for cocktail, medium (26/31 count) or large (21/25 count) are the most versatile and easiest to serve. These one- or two-bite morsels are natural to pick up and dunk.
Choose Shell-On When You Can. Think of the shell as the shrimp’s natural armor: For shrimp cocktail, you’ll want to keep it on during poaching and peel the shrimp as close to serving time as possible. The shells add flavor to the shrimp, promote even heat transfer, keep the flesh from getting water-logged during cooking and then prevent it from drying out once cooked. But if yours are already peeled don’t worry, they’ll still be delicious.
Fresh or Frozen? Either is fine, and the reason is simple: The majority of shrimp at your seafood market or fish counter will be frozen or previously frozen. Even those displayed as “fresh” are almost certainly defrosted frozen. So choose what’s most convenient for you; if they’re frozen, simply defrost them in the fridge overnight or (much quicker) thaw them under cold running water.
For the cocktail sauce, use 1 cup ketchup, as much horseraidsh as your nose can handle, a splash of Worcestershire sauce, a few dashes of hot sauce, juice and zest of one lemon. Mix well and let chill.