Shrimp Cocktail
It's all about taking a simple dish and making it look like a million dollars.
Equipment
- 1 pairing knife
- 1 Steamer with basket
- 1 mixing bowl Large
- 1 rimmed baking sheet pan
Ingredients
- 2 pounds extra-large jumbo shrimp (8 to 10 counts per pound) Cleaned, deveined, and the tails remain on
- 1 1/2 tbsps Kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tsps black pepper Freshly-ground
- 1 1/2 tsps garlic powder
Garnishes:
- Favorite cocktail sauce Substitute homemade
- Lemon slices
- Leafy greens
Instructions
- Use a paring knife to cut up the back end of each shrimp, exposing the vein if there is one. Rinse out any dirt or vein with cold water. Leave the shell to the tail on each one.Once I've cleaned and prepared the shrimp, transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Season simply with kosher salt, freshly-ground black pepper, and garlic powder, and toss to coat. The amount of seasoning may seem like a lot, but most of the seasoning will fall off during the steaming process.Use a steamer with a removable basket and a glass lid. The glass lid allows you to know the second the shrimp is ready.Fill the bottom of the steamer pot with water to the "Fill Line". The water should not touch the shrimp. Turn the heat to medium. Bring the water to a hard simmer. Next, place 8 to 10 seasoned shrimp, the first batch, into the steamer basket, then lower the basket into the pot. Place the lid on. Steam for 4 to 5 minutes until just cooked through. Repeat this process for the second batch.Transfer the steamed shrimp onto a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread the cooked shrimp out into one even layer and chill for 30 minutes.To Serve: Cover a serving plate with leafy greens. Lay the shrimp down around the cocktail sauce. Having a homemade cocktail sauce or a good store-bought one works just fine. There you have it, my Shrimp Cocktail, simple but elegant.
Notes
1) When you store your shrimp before cooking, place them in a plastic baggie. Release all the air from the baggie. Spread the shrimp out flat in the baggie. Using a baking dish or something similar, place the baggie of shrimp over ice in the refrigerator.
2) A great rule to follow when steaming, sautéing, or boiling) cooking shrimp.Once the shrimp form the letter "C," they are done. If they form the letter "O," they are overcooked. Do not overfill the steamer basket with shrimp. You may have to do this in batches. 3) It's best to serve shrimp the same day you cook them because of flavor and texture. If you need to store shrimp after they've been cooked. Transfer to an air-tight container with a lid. Keeps up to 2 days in the refrigerator until ready to serve. 4) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through the online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.
