Shrimp Cocktail

Plump, cold shrimp dunked into zesty cocktail sauce. It's not for nothing that it's been an iconic dish for over a hundred years.

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Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 15

Inactive time: 30

Total Time: 55

Servings: to 6 people

Calories: 129kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Shrimp:

2 pounds colossal shrimp (peeled and deveined; shells reserved; see Note 1)
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Court bouillon:

8 cups water
1 yellow onion (peeled and quartered)
3 ribs celery (with leaves if possible; ribs cut into thirds and leaves roughly chopped)
1 head garlic (halved crosswise)
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black peppercorns

For serving:

Cocktail sauce
1 Lemon (cut into wedges)

Instructions

Prepare the shrimp.

Transfer the peeled shrimp to a large bowl and season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Toss to coat and refrigerate until needed.

Make the court bouillon:

Combine 8 cups water with the onion, celery ribs and leaves, garlic halves, and bay leaves. Add 2 tablespoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoon black peppercorns. Add the reserved shrimp shells and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl and discard the solids. Wipe out the pot and return it to the stove.

Poach the shrimp:

Pour the strained broth back into the pot and bring to a boil. As soon as the broth comes to a boil, turn off the heat, add the shrimp, and cover the pot immediately. Allow the shrimp to poach for 4 to 8 minutes, depending on the size of the shrimp. See Note 2.
As the shrimp poach, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl.
As soon as the shrimp reach 140ºF, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to the ice bath for just a few minutes.

Prepare the platter:

Fill a coupe glass with cocktail sauce and place it on a large platter. Arrange crushed ice around the coupe glass.
Once the shrimp are cold to the touch, use tongs to arrange them on top of the ice. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

To serve:

Arrange the lemon wedges around the shrimp and serve.

Notes

Note 1: Use your favorite-sized shrimp here! Colossal, jumbo, or extra-large shrimp are my favorites. Try it with large or medium shrimp if you like the smaller size or if you're serving them with crackers. You'll just need to adjust the poaching time accordingly. You may choose to remove the tails or leave them on, depending on how you want to present them. If you choose to remove the tails, just be sure to add them to the court bouillon with the rest of the shells.

Note 2: If you're using colossal or jumbo shrimp, they will immediately reduce the temperature of the water. Depending on how well your pot retains heat, you may need to turn the heat to low and let a little extra steam finish cooking them for 1 to 2 minutes. Just be gentle with the heat, as you can very quickly end up with rubbery shrimp.

Nutrition

Calories: 129kcal | Protein: 30g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 180mg

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