Perfect Shrimp Cocktail w/ Homemade Cocktail Sauce

Shrimp cocktail is the perfect holidays starter, but purchasing good ready-to-eat cooked shrimp can be a tad spendy. This classic appetizer is so simple to make at home, there is really no need to ever buy out again. There is just one trick to this dish. The shrimp must be boiled in court bouillon NOT water (unless you like your shrimp rubbery and tasteless). The key to the perfect shrimp cocktail lies not just in the quality of the seafood but in the boil. Here's how to do it right, complete with zesty homemade cocktail sauce. 

Court Bouillon

1-2 lb. uncooked, peeled and cleaned jumbo shrimp

1 carrot, cut in half

1 stalk celery, cut in half

½ onion

1 lemon cut in half

pinch of kosher salt

5 C. water

1 C. white wine

½ bunch Italian parsley, tied

Combine all ingredients (except shrimp) in a large pot and bring to a boil, add shrimp and cook for 2 minutes or until pink just turn pink.  Remove shrimp and let cool completely before serving.

Shrimp Cocktail Sauce

1/2 C.  Thai sweet chili sauce 

1/2 C. ketchup 

3 Tbs. prepared horseradish

2 Tsp. fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp. hot sauce, optional

Combine all ingredients and chill before serving.

Comments

[Christina]

Where did y ou find your Thai sweet chili sauce and what was the brand? - Thanks

[Stephanie Webster]

Chef Nicole said she found this particular Thai sweet chili sauce at Shop Rite in Norwalk. The brand is Maggi. However most supermarkets carry Thai sweet chili sauce. Happy shopping.

[Chris Grimm]

May I add that nothing is easier to grow and make than horseradish - and you really notice the difference. Plant it and forget it (well, it's hard to forget it when you see the huge leaves) and once a year dig up some root.

To prep, clean, peel, and dice about a handful and put it into the mini-prep with maybe a tablespoon of water - just enough that the mini-prep can grate the horseradish (otherwise it'll just spin around and get stuck on the blades). Now comes the trick, but to preface...

If you just wanted to chew on some horseradish, you would be shocked at how bland it is - like the sole of a sneaker. Which is why...

After you have grated the horseradish, add some cider vinegar and run the prep for a few more seconds - the vinegar is what sets the heat which comes from the oils that are released when you've grated it. Pow! Brace yourself when you take the lid off the prep. But now you have fresh prepared horseradish that will be great in a recipe like the above and will last indefinitely in your fridge.