San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Simple shrimp cocktail simply delicious
Like the Beatles, shrimp cocktail needs no introduction. It’s a classic, and even the TikTok generation can hum along. Shrimp cocktail is having a moment, reminding us of how good this most basic dish is. Shrimp cocktail for dinner has never been so groovy.
I have always been a shrimp cocktail enthusiast, so I am particularly excited that it is in the spotlight. As far as I’m concerned, it’s the perfect food: cold, tender shrimp, plenty of fresh lemon juice and an extraspicy-please cocktail sauce loaded with horseradish. It’s at home on any table, from breakfast to a fancy-pants party spread, and it’s as low maintenance as a delicious food can be.
If you can boil water, you can make shrimp cocktail. I like a large shrimp, but not super jumbo, which can be tough and chewy. My ideal is 16/20 count (meaning for each pound of shrimp, you’ll have 16 to 20 individual shrimp), but a good, fresh shrimp of any size will shine.
I choose peel-on shrimp from the market because I like freezing the shells for soup or stock down the road, but if you prefer, you can buy peeled and deveined shrimp for the convenience. You can even use good quality frozen shrimp. Either way, I leave the tail on for presentation and tidy handling.
Classic shrimp cocktail features shrimp gently poached in water, sometimes gussied up with lemon juice, aromatic veggies, spices or herbs. Bring your seasoned water to a light simmer, and cook the shrimp until it’s opaque and just cooked through. For smaller shrimp, a minute or so will do. For the largest shrimp, it can take four or more minutes. You can transfer the shrimp to an ice water bath to chill, but I prefer to add ice right to the poaching liquid. The gentle cooling keeps the shrimp from becoming stringy and tough.
Of course, such a simple food begs for variations, so don’t be afraid to serve shrimp grilled or roasted. Deep browning and grill marks add a new depth of flavor to shrimp, especially if served with roasted or grilled aromatic veggies, like fennel, leeks and scallions. If you go this route, don’t forget to grill some lemons to squeeze on top!
A horseradish-heavy cocktail sauce is a natural accompaniment to a shrimp cocktail, but don’t get too hung up on tradition. If one dip is good, two, three or even four are better, so experiment with new ways to dunk your shrimp. Roasted garlic butter, herby chimichurri or bright lemon aioli are some of my semitraditional go-tos, but spicy coconut curry, Vietnamese nuoc cham or a tangy tamarind chutney pack big flavor.
To serve shrimp cocktail, forgo the stuffy ring o’ shrimp in favor of a more modern platter presentation. Arrange the shrimp on a bed of crushed ice (don’t overthink it!) and be ready to replenish the ice as needed.
Make more shrimp than you think you’ll need and use any unlikely leftovers to garnish tomorrow’s bloody mary, toss into a quick salad for lunch or wrap up for shrimp enchiladas.