CHEF JOHN'S SHRIMP COCKTAIL

Chef John's Shrimp Cocktail image

Before I knew much about food or dining out, I knew that if they brought shrimp cocktails to the table as an appetizer, we were eating at a 'fancy' restaurant. I'm sure I enjoyed the shrimp, but what I really loved was dipping the crackers in the spicy, horseradish-spiked cocktail sauce.

Provided by Chef John

Categories Appetizers and Snacks Seafood Shrimp

Time 50m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

3 quarts cold water
¼ onion, sliced
½ lemon
2 cloves garlic, peeled and bruised
2 sprigs fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon seafood seasoning (such as Old Bay®)
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
½ cup ketchup
¼ cup chili sauce
¼ cup prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 drops hot sauce, or to taste
1 pinch salt
2 pounds shell-on deveined jumbo shrimp

Steps:

Stir water, onion, lemon, garlic, tarragon, seafood seasoning, peppercorns, and bay leaf together in a large pot; bring to a simmer and cook until flavors blend, about 15 minutes.
Whisk ketchup, chili sauce, horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and salt together in a bowl; refrigerate until chilled, at least 15 minutes.
Bring poaching liquid to a rapid boil. Cook the shrimp in the boiling liquid until they are bright pink on the outside and the meat is no longer transparent in the center, about 5 minutes. Transfer shrimp to a bowl of ice water and immerse in ice water until cold; drain. Arrange cold shrimp on a platter and serve with chilled sauce.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 305.6 calories, Carbohydrate 18.9 g, Cholesterol 345 mg, Fat 4.3 g, Fiber 1.7 g, Protein 47.7 g, SaturatedFat 0.8 g, Sodium 1414.9 mg, Sugar 10.4 g