The shrimp cocktail is a very simple dish to prepare that everyone usually likes, both for its rich combination of flavors and for its beautiful presentation, which will make you look good whenever you bring it to the table. Their secret is to select some fresh shrimp of excellent quality and cook them to the point, so that their meat is tender and tasty. But you know how to make a shrimp cocktail at home? It is very simple!
To prepare a shrimp cocktail we have different options and combinations, all very appetizing, so you can customize your recipe and offer original varieties of this traditional seafood cocktail. In this oneHOWTO article we show you, step by step, how to make a homemade shrimp cocktail. In addition, we give you some ideas so that you can choose the final touch that best suits your tastes. Take note and try this summer starter.
4 diners
30 minutes
Low difficulty
Ingredients:
Steps to follow:
1
To make a shrimp cocktail, the first step consists of clean the shellfish. Peel the shrimp removing all its skeleton and remove the head and tail. Do not forget to devein them, that is, remove the thin black strip from the upper part of the spine with the help of a sharp knife.
2
Enter in a pot with water the ingredients that will give flavor to this recipe for shrimp cocktail: the onion cut in two halves, some bay leaves and a handful of coarse salt. Put it on the fire and, when it starts to boil, add the shrimp.
3
Keep the ingredients in the boiling water about 2 – 3 minutes. When you see that the shrimp acquire their characteristic orange color, remove the pot from the heat. Take them out of the pot and immediately put them in a bowl of cold water. With this simple trick, you will stop cooking and the shrimp meat will have the ideal texture so that the cocktail is perfect. Reserve some of the cooking water.
4
Wash a few well Lettuce leaves, dry them and chop them. When they are ready, you can start to assemble the shrimp cocktail: place the lettuce in the glass or glass bowl where you are going to present the cocktail.
5
You will also have to prepare the sauce that you have chosen as an accompaniment. You can make a shrimp cocktail with mayonnaise by putting a few tablespoons of this sauce on the lettuce. You can also do the same with a pink sauce. If you like spicy, you can add a few drops of tabasco to the cocktail, getting a real Mexican shrimp cocktail.
If you want to make your own sauce for the shrimp cocktail, check out the articles on How to Make Mayonnaise and How to Make Pink Sauce.
6
On top of the lettuce and the chosen sauce, add the shrimp. You can also place some shrimp on the edges of the glass for decoration, and even some aromatic herbs or a piece of lemon.
7
If you want a more liquid consistency cocktail, you can opt for the clamato as a base for your sauce. In this case, put the refreshing tomato juice at the base of the glass, add a little of the shrimp cooking broth and the juice of half a lemon. Mix well and add the shrimp. You can also decorate the glass with some shrimp and some lemon wedges.
8
Choose the option you choose, once you have prepared your shrimp cocktail, let it rest in the fridge at least 15 minutes so that, when you take it, it is as refreshing as it is delicious.
Now that you know how to make an easy homemade shrimp cocktail, you can try these other easy-to-make light appetizers.
If you want to read more articles similar to How to make a shrimp cocktail, we recommend that you enter our Recipes category.
Advice
- The classic shrimp cocktail is that it is accompanied by lettuce and mayonnaise or pink sauce but, as we have pointed out, this recipe admits options for all tastes. For example, the shrimp cocktail with avocado is one of the most popular and you will only have to add pieces of this fruit on top of the cocktail. You can also add pineapple or cucumber.
- You can make the cocktail with frozen shrimp, but the ideal is to choose them fresh and of optimal quality to enjoy more of their intense flavor.
- When cooking the shrimp, you can also add other ingredients that you like, such as a clove of garlic or certain spices, such as thyme, basil or black pepper.