Chilled shrimp with sauce

My grandmother kept a crystal bowl perpetually ready in her refrigerator, filled with chilled shrimp and that fierce homemade sauce. She believed proper cocktail sauce should make your nose tingle just a little. Weekends at her house meant we would gather around the coffee table, peeling shrimp and talking about everything and nothing. I have carried that tradition forward, adjusting her ratios until the sauce hit exactly the right balance between sweet ketchup and aggressive horseradish. Some appetizers try too hard, but this one knows exactly what it is.

Last summer, I made these for a Fourth of July party and watched them disappear in under ten minutes. My brother, who claims to hate cooked seafood, ate seven. There is something about that cold, sweet shrimp hitting the spicy sauce that makes people keep reaching for just one more.

Ingredients

• 500 g (1 lb) large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on: Leave those tails intact, they become your handle and make everything feel fancier
• 1 lemon, sliced: The slices perfume the cooking water, while wedges for serving add that final bright acid punch
• 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black peppercorns: This is your bare minimum seasoning court, enough to wake up the shrimp without overwhelming
• 120 ml (½ cup) ketchup: The sweet backbone that tames all that horseradish heat
• 2 tbsp prepared horseradish: Start here and adjust up if you want the real nose clearing experience
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice: Fresh matters here, bottled juice cannot provide the same clean brightness
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce: The hidden umami bomb that makes people ask what is different about your sauce
• ½ tsp hot sauce: Optional, but recommended if you like your cocktail sauce with some serious attitude

Instructions

Set up your shrimp station:

Fill a large pot with water, then add lemon slices, salt, and peppercorns. Bring it to a rolling boil while you prepare an ice bath in a separate bowl, this stops the cooking instantly so your shrimp stay tender.

Cook the shrimp:

Add the shrimp to the boiling water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, watching carefully. They are done the moment they turn pink and curl slightly, any longer and they will be rubbery.

Chill them down:

Transfer the shrimp immediately to the ice bath and let them chill for at least 10 minutes. This step is what makes restaurant shrimp so perfect.

Make the magic sauce:

In a bowl, mix ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce if using, and a pinch of salt. Taste and adjust the heat level.

Arrange like a pro:

Drain the shrimp and pat them completely dry with paper towels, wet shrimp make watery sauce. Arrange on a platter over crushed ice or lettuce leaves.

Get them to the table:

Serve with cocktail sauce in a small bowl, lemon wedges, and parsley if you want it to look like you tried harder than you actually did.

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I served this at a dinner party once where the main course was running late. Everyone was so happy standing around the platter, dipping and talking, that nobody noticed the delay. Sometimes the appetizer becomes the best part.

Make It Your Own

The cocktail sauce is where you can assert some personality. Some days I go heavy on the horseradish when I want something assertive, other times I add extra lemon for a lighter, brighter version. A tiny splash of vodka finds its way into my sauce occasionally, which cuts through the ketchup sweetness beautifully.

Serving Suggestions

Crushed ice under the shrimp is not just for looks, it keeps them perfectly cold throughout a party. I have also served these in martini glasses with a dollop of sauce at the bottom for individual portions. For a more substantial appetizer, add some cocktail crackers or small slices of crusty bread on the side.

Timing and Prep

The beauty of shrimp cocktail is that it must be made ahead, which frees you up when guests arrive. I cook the shrimp in the morning, chill them, and keep them refrigerated until serving time. The sauce can sit in the refrigerator for days, actually developing more flavor as the ingredients meld.

• Buy the best quality shrimp you can find, frozen is fine but thaw them properly in the refrigerator
• Keep everything cold until the moment of serving, room temperature shrimp are a disappointment
• Make double the sauce, it keeps for weeks and you will find reasons to use it

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Simple food executed perfectly beats complicated food done adequately every single time.

Recipe FAQs

→ How do I ensure shrimp stay tender after cooking?

Cook shrimp only until they turn pink, about 2–3 minutes, then immediately transfer to an ice bath to halt cooking and preserve tenderness.

→ What adds the tangy flavor to the sauce?

Fresh lemon juice combined with horseradish and Worcestershire sauce provides a vibrant tanginess in the sauce.

→ Can this dish be prepared ahead of time?

Yes, shrimp and sauce can be prepared up to one day in advance and refrigerated separately for best freshness.

→ What garnishes complement chilled shrimp?

Lemon wedges and fresh parsley enhance the flavor and presentation, adding brightness and color.

→ Are there any allergen concerns with these ingredients?

Shrimp contain shellfish allergens; also check Worcestershire sauce for anchovies if avoiding fish allergens.