Bloody Mary Shrimp Cocktail

This Shrimp Cocktail, served with a zesty Bloody Mary cocktail sauce, is fresh, delicious, and very easy to make. You can buy the shrimp already cooked and ready to go, or if you'd prefer, you can purchase them raw and poach them yourself as directed in the recipe.

Although this cocktail sauce is great served with chilled shrimp, it's also good served with grilled shrimp

or steamed clams or lobster.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: Serves 6

Ingredients:

• Bloody Mary Cocktail Sauce
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon grated lime zest
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 cup bottled chili sauce, such as Heinz
• 1 tablespoon bottled prepared horseradish
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• Several drops hot pepper sauce, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
  
• 30 extra-large (16 to 18 per pound) shrimp with shells on
• 2 tablespoons coarse salt
• 2 medium lemons, one cut into thin slices, the other into wedges for serving

Preparation:

1. Make the cocktail sauce: In a medium bowl, mix the lemon and lime juices and zests, the ketchup, chili sauce, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and celery salt until well blended. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

2. To poach the shrimp: Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the salt and lemon slices and let simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until just opaque, about 3 minutes. (To check to see if the shrimp are done, remove one and cut through the shell into the middle.) Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a colander and let cool.

4. Peel the cooled shrimp, leaving the tails intact. Using a small paring knife, make a slit down the middle of the back of the shrimp to expose the black vein. Remove the vein with the tip of a know and wipe it off with a paper towel.

5. To serve, spoon the cocktail sauce into individual glasses or serving dishes, and arrange the shrimp around the rim. Serve the shrimp cocktail with lemon wedges.

Recipe Notes

• The Bloody Mary Cocktail Sauce can be made up to one week ahead and refrigerated airtight.
• The shrimp can be poached up to 1 day ahead, and stored, unpeeled, in an airtight container. Peel the shrimp, just before using.
• Poaching the shrimp in their shells helps to preserve their flavor.
• How many shrimp you get per pound depends on their size. Generally speaking, jumbo shrimp come 11 to 15 per pound; extra-large come 16 to 20 per pound; large 21 to 30 per pound; and medium shrimp 31 to 35; and small 36 to 45 per pound.