It’s All About the Horseradish – Shrimp Cocktail

There’s something about shrimp cocktail. When it’s hot outside and the shrimp are ice cold; slightly sweet and saline. Delicious. And then you dunk them into spicy cocktail sauce, even better. And as my wife Marci notes, the cocktail sauce is all about the horseradish.

The horseradish gives it that extra kick. It adds a spicy, pungent, nasal bite that can bring tears to your eyes while at the same time going perfectly with the ice cold shrimp. Unfortunately in restaurants, there is almost never enough horseradish in the cocktail sauce; we don’t hesitate to ask for extra to mix in ourselves.

Cocktail sauce is great on other foods too. Raw oysters and clams, of course. And in a bloody Mary. But it’s especially good on fried foods. Crab cakes, fried shrimp, and fried clams. French fries are at the top of the list, and if available, I’d much rather dip my French fries in cocktail sauce than ketchup. And it’s especially good if you have added extra horseradish.

Shrimp Cocktail

Never buy cocktail sauce because it takes about a minute to make, and it will be far superior than anything you buy in a bottle. If I can find it, I use hot horseradish for that extra kick. But if you can’t find it or want your shrimp cocktail a little less spicy, use regular white horseradish, never the pink version colored with beets.

As for the shrimp, do your best to purchase sustainably harvested ones. It’s not always easy to sort through, but those certified by the Marine Stewardship Council are a good bet, and you can always find more information about sustainably harvested seafood at the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafoodwatch.

Since most shrimp were frozen right after harvest, it makes sense to buy them frozen and defrost them yourself. After all, you don’t know how long the “fresh” ones have been sitting at the seafood counter.

Finally a word on size. Shrimp are sized based on how many individuals make up a pound. If you’re serving a couple of pounds of peel and eat shrimp, then those sized 31/35 (meaning 31 to 35 shrimp in a pound) might be okay. But for a more formal shrimp cocktail, the larger the better (at least 16/20).

4 servings, 30 minutes, plus chilling time

10 – 15 black peppercorns

2 bay leaves

1 Tbsp. sea salt

½ of one lemon

1 lb. raw shrimp, defrosted

½ cup ketchup

2 Tbsp. white horseradish, or more to taste

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

½ tsp. hot sauce such as Tabasco

½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce (optional)

lemon wedges for serving

1. Add four quarts of water to a large pot, along with the peppercorns, bay leaf, and sea salt. Squeeze the juice from a lemon half into the pot and then add the lemon rind, seeds and all. Bring the water to a boil over a high heat. Lower the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.
2. Prepare a bowl large enough to hold the shrimp by almost filling it with ice and some water. This will be to immediately stop the shrimp from cooking when they are done so they don’t overcook.
3. Turn the heat to high, add the shrimp, and cook for about three minutes, depending on their size, until the shrimp are just cooked through.
4. Immediately strain the shrimp from the pot and immerse them in the bowl with ice water. Place the bowl in the refrigerator.
5. While the shrimp are chilling, make the cocktail sauce by mixing together the ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce, if using, in a bowl. Taste and adjust the flavor by adding a little more of any of the ingredients to your liking. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
6. Drain the shrimp from the water and ice.
7. If you are having the shrimp cocktail as peel and eat shrimp, place them on a bed of new ice and serve with cocktail sauce and extra lemon wedges. Remember to have a bowl on the side for the peeled shells.
8. If you are making more formal shrimp cocktail, peel the shrimp making sure to leave the tail intact. Arrange around a martini glass or other serving dish filled with cocktail sauce.
9. Serve ice cold.

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