Shrimp Cocktail

Shrimp cocktail is a classic appetizer that typically consists of chilled, cooked shrimp served with a tangy and flavorful cocktail sauce. It’s a popular dish in many seafood restaurants and is often served as a starter or hors d’oeuvre at parties and special occasions. The presentation of shrimp cocktail is often elegant, with the shrimp arranged around the edge of a serving dish or individual cocktail glasses, accompanied by a central bowl of the cocktail sauce.
Almost all grocery stores sell frozen shrimp but a seafood market will usually sell a much higher quality item, especially if you live in a coastal region. If you are able to buy fresh shrimp, do it. For the rest of us, frozen shrimp is always good too. This recipe will make it taste great. Buy, uncooked, deveined, tail-on shrimp that are size 13/15 which means that there are 13-15 per pound. Shell on is excellent too but requires cleaning and deveining. You can also use precooked shrimp but you will miss out on all of the flavor that will be added in the upcoming steps.
Thaw them for a day or so in the refrigerator before cooking.
To make the shrimp cocktail, you need to start by poaching your shrimp. Add water, garlic, lemon, bay leaves, and peppercorns to a pot and bring the water to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and simmer for ten minutes.
Turn off the heat then add the shrimp to the water. Let the shrimp cook until they are pinkish red, this will take about 3-5 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the water and let cool to at least room temperature before serving with cocktail sauce. These can be made a day in advance and placed in the refrigerator, chilled shrimp is crisp and delicious.
To make the cocktail sauce, add red bell pepper, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, horseradish, parsley, olive oil, and black pepper to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Refrigerate until it has cooled and thickened.
Roasted red bell pepper can be bought in a can but it’s so easy to make. Preheat your oven to it’s highest setting, or broil. Coat the red pepper with oil and a touch of salt. Place the peppers in the oven until they are charred on the outsides. Once they are charred, remove from the oven and let cool a bit before handling. Remove some of the char from the outside, cut the peppers open to remove the pith, seeds, and core, then slice it into strips.
Enjoy your homemade Shrimp Cocktail, people are going to have a lot of questions on why yours tastes better than theirs!