Shrimp Cocktail - Recipes, History, Trivia

Shrimp Cocktail - History of the Dish

The earliest reference to Shrimp Cocktail appears to be from the late 1920s, but predecessors of the dish seem to have originated by the turn of the previous century at the latest. The Original Boston Cooking-School Cook Book of 1896 states that "Shrimps are...generally used for salads". By the 60s, the traditional Shrimp Cocktail was far and away the most common appetizer found in restaurants throughout the land. Thereafter followed a decline in popularity, as trendier fare pushed aside what some considered to be a stodgy, old fashioned dish. Now, finally, good sense has returned, and we're once again seeing Shrimp Cocktails prominently featured as a first course. (Coco, long time associate of Yummyeats.com party planner, Mrs. Worthington, chimes in with his pet peeve: why do restaurants always seem to serve an odd number of shrimp, making it difficult for two people to share?)

Recipes

Shrimp Cocktail
Printable version of recipe
It's a snap to create a delicious Shrimp Cocktail - a great party appetizer. You can used pre-cooked shrimp, but fresh is always the best.
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1 dozen medium shrimp, cleaned with tails left on
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup prepared horseradish
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 tsp chili powder
a dash or two of Tabasco
pinch of salt

Fill a 12" skillet half way with water, add 1/2 tsp salt, and bring to a boil. Add the shrimp, and cook 3-4 minutes, until the shrimp are opaque. Drain and cool the shrimp, then refrigerate for several hours until they are completely chilled. Mix remaining ingredients together for the cocktail sauce. Serve the chilled shrimp with the cocktail sauce.

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