Diary of a Chef · Just Chefn Around

Classic Shrimp Cocktail

45 minutes + 2 hr chill · 4–6 servings

By Diary of a Chef

Ingredients

• 1 lb jumbo shrimp, shell-on, deveined (16/20 count)
• 1/4 cup kosher salt (for the poach)
• 1/4 cup sugar (for the poach)
• 3 lemons
• 1 cup chili sauce (like Heinz)
• 2 tbsp prepared horseradish
• 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 tsp hot sauce (like Tabasco)
• 8 cups ice

Instructions

1. 1Make the cocktail sauce

   Stir 1 cup chili sauce, 2 tbsp horseradish, 3/4 tsp lemon zest, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tsp black pepper, and 3/4 tsp hot sauce in a bowl. Taste — it should bite back a little. Cover and refrigerate.

2. 2Build the poaching liquid

   Combine 1/4 cup kosher salt, 1/4 cup sugar, and 6 cups water in a large saucepan. Squeeze in the two halved lemons and drop the halves in too. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve, then pull the pot OFF the heat.

3. 3Poach off the heat

   Slide the shell-on shrimp into the hot liquid, uncovered, off heat. 3½ minutes for jumbo (16/20). The moment they're opaque and just curled, they're done — a tight O-shape means overcooked.

4. 4Shock cold

   Scoop about 2 cups of ice straight into the pot (or lift the shrimp into a bowl of salted ice water). Stir. The cook stops the second they hit the cold.

5. 5Peel and chill (make-ahead hold)

   Peel, leaving the tail segment on. Arrange on a plate, cover, and refrigerate at least 2 hours — up to a full day ahead. This is the hold: everything to here happens before your cook session.

6. 6Serve on ice

   Pile cracked ice on the chilled platter or into coupes, hook the shrimp over the rims, sauce in the center, lemon wedges from the remaining lemon alongside.