WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Our take on this party staple boasts perfectly tender, sweet shrimp and a lively, horseradish-forward cocktail sauce. Rather than simply boiling the shrimp in water, we cooked them more gently in a simple mixture of water and bold seasonings to infuse the shrimp with as much flavor as possible. Old Bay seasoning contributed a perceptible depth of flavor to the shrimp. To avoid overcooking, we brought the water and aromatics to a boil, took the pot off the heat, and then added the shrimp, leaving them to poach for 7 minutes. This method delivered perfectly tender, not rubbery, shrimp every time. We prefer our Prepared Horseradish; if you purchase prepared horseradish, buy the refrigerated kind, not the shelf-stable kind, which contains preservatives and additives.
Serves: 6
Total time: 35 minutes (plus 1 hour chilling time)
INGREDIENTS:
SHRIMP
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1 pound extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined
HORSERADISH COCKTAIL SAUCE
- 1 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish, plus extra for seasoning
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce,
- plus extra for seasoning ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
- For the shrimp: Bring lemon juice, bay leaves, salt, peppercorns, Old Bay, and 1 quart water to boil in medium saucepan for 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and add shrimp. Cover and steep off heat until shrimp are firm and pink, about 7 minutes.
- Meanwhile, fill large bowl with ice water. Drain shrimp, plunge immediately into ice water to stop cooking, and let sit until cool, about 2 minutes. Drain shrimp and transfer to bowl. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour.
- For the cocktail sauce Stir all ingredients together in small bowl and season with additional horseradish and hot sauce as desired. (Cocktail sauce can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.) Arrange shrimp and sauce on serving platter and serve.
