How to Make a Shrimp Cocktail
If you want to eat shrimp that actually tastes fresh, cut out a step and ask for it frozen. If you want it to taste even better, ask for the “wild caught” shrimp that is unpeeled, raw, and preferably de-veined (unless you don’t mind having to devein the shrimp yourself). I have found shrimp like this on sale for $5 a pound. You can take it home and keep it frozen until you want to use it (if you get it thawed from behind the counter and freeze it, you will be freezing it for a second time and it won’t taste as good).
Party style (on a platter) – This is how we present the cocktail shrimp in the recipe below. If you think the shrimp might be sitting out at room temperature for a while, it is a good idea to present the shrimp on a bed of ice cubes either on a platter or a shallow serving bowl. Make sure to have a bowl of lemon wedges on the side or you can place it on the platter with the shrimp. Also, it’s better to have too many lemon wedges than not enough. Individual servings – For this presentation, you are aiming for single servings with everything in one little cup or glass. I like to put a spoonful of cocktail sauce in the bottom of the cup or glass, then hang the shrimp over the rim. Depending on your serving vessel, you can decide how many shrimp to include. If you are using a shot glass, you will probably only be able to fit one shrimp. If you are using a cocktail glass, you can likely fit 3-4 shrimp over the rim. Garnish each with a lemon wedge and parsley. Ceviche style – For this style, I usually like to use the smaller shrimp but you can use medium-sized shrimp and pull the tails off and cut them in half or thirds. Place the shrimp in a large bowl with chopped fresh tomatoes, red onion, avocado, jalapeño, chopped cilantro, a dash of hot sauce, a little kosher salt and black pepper, and toss with lime juice. You can even add chopped cucumber or celery. Serve in a large serving dish or portion into individual serving cups. I like to serve this style with tortilla chips, but that is totally optional.
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