RESET360 with Camille McLaughlin
July Pick: Snacks

Shrimp Cocktail with Horseradish Sauce

Jumbo shrimp gently poached with lemon and bay, chilled on ice, and served with a bright, punchy tomato and horseradish cocktail sauce.

Why you'll love Shrimp Cocktail with Horseradish Sauce

Shrimp cocktail is the cold, effortless appetizer of an American summer, and it belongs on the table at a Fourth of July cookout. Big shrimp poach in water seasoned with lemon, bay, peppercorns, and celery, then chill on ice until firm and snappy. The sauce is the classic cocktail sauce, built from scratch on tomato paste and crushed tomatoes with a spoonful of allulose, cider vinegar, lemon, and plenty of horseradish.

Gentle heat is the whole trick with the shrimp. They go into boiling, seasoned water, the pot comes off the heat, and they cook through in the residual heat in a few minutes, so they turn tender instead of rubbery. Cooking them in their shells keeps them juicier and gives them more flavor, and the ice bath stops the cooking the moment they are done.

For the sauce, the tomato base simmers briefly to lose its raw edge, then cools before the horseradish goes in. Horseradish gets its heat from compounds that fade with cooking, so stirring it in cold keeps the sauce sharp enough to clear your nose.

Quick overview: This Shrimp Cocktail with Horseradish Sauce takes 20 min of hands-on time and about 1 hr 5 min in all and makes 6 servings, each about 5 shrimp with 2 tbsp sauce and vegetables. You'll need a pot and a saucepan.

Jump to recipe

Shrimp cocktail on ice with celery, cucumber and horseradish sauce
Prep 20 minCook 15 minChill 30 minTotal 1 hr 5 minServes 6Serving about 5 shrimp with 2 tbsp sauce and vegetablesYou'll need Pot, Saucepan

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lb jumbo shell-on raw shrimp (16 to 20 per pound), deveined
  • 1 lemon, halved, for the poaching water
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
  • 6 celery stalks: 1 roughly chopped for the poaching water, 5 cut into sticks to serve
  • 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp fine sea salt, divided (most stays in the poaching water)
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste Label: tomatoes, and salt if any
  • 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes Label: tomatoes, and salt if any
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp allulose Label: allulose, and nothing else
  • 3 tbsp prepared horseradish, or more to taste Label: horseradish, vinegar, and salt
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, plus wedges to serve
  • a pinch of cayenne
  • 1 English cucumber, cut into spears

Instructions

  1. Season the poaching water: Fill a large pot with 3 quarts of water. Squeeze in the lemon halves and drop them in, then add the bay leaves, peppercorns, chopped celery stalk, and 1 tablespoon of the salt. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for 5 minutes so the aromatics flavor the water.
  2. Set up an ice bath: While the water simmers, fill a large bowl with ice and cold water.
  3. Poach the shrimp: Add the shrimp to the boiling water, stir once, cover the pot, and take it off the heat. Let them sit for 3 to 5 minutes, until they curl, turn pink and opaque all the way through, and reach 145°F (63°C) in the thickest one. Cut one open to check. The water holds enough heat to cook them gently, which keeps them tender.
  4. Chill: Lift the shrimp straight into the ice bath with a slotted spoon and leave them for 5 minutes, until cold, to stop the cooking. Drain, peel them, leaving the tails on, and refrigerate them for at least 20 minutes, until well chilled.
  5. Cook the sauce base: Stir the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, vinegar, allulose, cayenne, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until thick and glossy and the paste no longer tastes raw. Scrape it into a bowl and refrigerate it until cool, about 15 minutes.
  6. Finish the sauce: Stir the horseradish and lemon juice into the cooled tomato base. Taste and add more horseradish if you want more heat.
  7. Serve: Pile the shrimp over crushed ice or on a chilled platter with the celery sticks, cucumber spears, and lemon wedges, and set the sauce alongside for dipping.

Storage and leftovers

Refrigerate the poached shrimp in a sealed container for up to 2 days. Keep them on ice when they are out on a party table, and put them back in the refrigerator within 2 hours, or within 1 hour on a day above 90°F (32°C).

The cocktail sauce keeps in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Its heat softens a little each day, so stir in a spoonful of fresh horseradish if it needs a lift.

Variations

  • Creamy horseradish dip: Stir 2 tablespoons of prepared horseradish and a squeeze of lemon into 1/2 cup of sour cream for a cool, creamy sauce.
  • Old Bay style: Add a teaspoon each of paprika and celery leaves to the poaching water for a more seasoned shrimp.
  • Grilled shrimp: Toss peeled shrimp with olive oil and salt and grill them for 2 minutes a side, until opaque and 145°F (63°C), then chill.
  • Spicier sauce: Add a finely minced fresh jalapeño or a few more pinches of cayenne to the sauce.

Notes and tips

  • Buy them deveined: Shell-on shrimp labeled easy-peel are already split and deveined, so they poach in the shell and peel in seconds.
  • Thaw frozen shrimp: Thaw frozen shrimp overnight in the refrigerator, or seal them in a bag in a bowl of cold water for 20 to 30 minutes.
  • Check the horseradish label: Prepared horseradish should read horseradish, vinegar, and salt, from the refrigerated case.
  • Make the sauce first: The sauce can be made a day ahead, which gives the flavors time to settle.

Nutrition and mindful eating

  • Shrimp bring protein along with selenium, vitamin B12, and iodine, and a gentle poach keeps them tender.
  • Tomato paste is concentrated tomato, rich in lycopene, and horseradish adds a sharp, clearing heat.
  • Celery and cucumber add crunch, water, and fiber, and make the platter more than a plate of shrimp.
  • A small spoonful of allulose rounds out the tomato the way ketchup's sweetness would.
  • As you eat, notice the cold, snappy shrimp and the heat of the horseradish, and pay attention to how a few shrimp and a handful of crunchy vegetables carry you to dinner, steady rather than starving.

Frequently asked questions

Have a question about this Shrimp Cocktail with Horseradish Sauce? Start here, with the questions people ask most.

Can I buy cooked shrimp?

Yes, though shrimp you poach yourself are juicier and better seasoned. If you buy cooked shrimp, choose ones with a label of shrimp and salt.

What size shrimp should I use?

Jumbo, 16 to 20 per pound, or extra-large, 21 to 25 per pound. Smaller shrimp overcook quickly and are fiddly to dip; check them after 2 minutes.

Why add allulose to the sauce?

Classic cocktail sauce is built on ketchup, which is sweet. A little allulose rounds out the acidity of the tomato and vinegar so the sauce tastes the way people expect.

How far ahead can I make it?

Poach the shrimp up to a day ahead and keep them cold. The sauce keeps for up to 4 days.

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Tags: July Pick, Snacks, American, Dairy-Free