Shrimp cocktails give off an air of class and sophistication despite being so easy. It’s a “pinkies up” kind of food. Shrimp cocktails made regular appearances at the fanciest dinner parties in the ’50s and ’60s and were even a mainstay in the flashy, high-stakes casino world. I prefer to make the cocktail sauce from scratch so I can control how spicy it is.
Ingredients
Shrimp
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh parsley
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 onion, quartered
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon Tabasco Chipotle sauce
- 1 pound deveined shell-on jumbo shrimp
Cocktail Sauce
- ½ cup chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
- ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon Tabasco Chipotle sauce
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 lemon, sliced, for serving
How to Make It
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For the shrimp
- In a large pot, combine the thyme, parsley, bay leaves, onion, salt, peppercorns, wine, and 2 cups water.
- Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice from each half into the pot. Throw the lemon halves into the pot as well.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
- Turn off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes to infuse the mixture. Fill a large bowl with ice and water and set it nearby.
- Remove the lemon halves and add the Tabasco and the shrimp.
- Simmer the shrimp over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes.
- Remove the shrimp and place in the ice bath to stop the cooking.
- Drain and peel the shrimp. Place on a platter. For the cocktail sauce
- In a medium bowl, combine the chili sauce, horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, and salt.
- Serve the chilled shrimp with the sauce and lemon slices.
