Aperitivo

Herby Shrimp Cocktail


It may sound a bit out-dated but I love a shrimp cocktail for a party, it takes under ten minutes to prepare and is easy to serve for a crowd. There’s two simple steps to ensure your shrimp cocktail stands out from the rest and is not a tasteless tough piece of shrimp.


First, you’ll want to find raw shrimp – do not buy the pre-cooked frozen shrimp. It’s ok if the shrimp has already been frozen as most seafood is because it’s caught in the middle of the ocean and packed on ice and therefore frozen once before being served fresh at the market. Second, when you boil the shrimp be sure to take the extra step of making the “court bouillon” and not just boiling water, the court bouillon seasons the shrimp. Finally, don’t overcook the shrimp, the raw shrimp should just begin to curl and turn pink but should not be tightly curled, this will result in tough shrimp.

INGREDIENTS

all units: U.S. Imperial

Court Bouillon


  • 10 c water
  • 1 lemon, sliced in half for the boiling water
  • 1 sweet or yellow onion, sliced in half for the boiling water
  • 2 stalks of celery, roughly chopped into chunks for boiling water
  • 2 large orange carrots, roughly chopped into chunks for boiling water
  • 1 head garlic cut in half
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp of pepper corns
  • 1 bunch parsley
  • 1 tbsp salt


Shrimp


  • 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp, raw
  • ½ bunch flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
  • 1 lemon zested
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Pinch of flaky sea salt


Cocktail Sauce


  • 1 c ketchup
  • 1 lemon zested
  • 5 tbsp prepared horseradish
  • ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • Hot sauce to taste

Mix the cocktail sauce ingredients in a small bowl, and set aside in the fridge until ready to serve.

Fill a large pot with the water, and add all the ingredients for the court bouillon, excluding the salt, and bring to a boil. Then add the salt and boil the shrimp for 2.5 to 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp and refrigerate for 20 minutes if not serving immediately.

When ready to serve, toss the shrimp in a bowl with the olive oil, herbs, lemon zest and pinch of flaky sea salt.