Traditional Shrimp Cocktail

1. Bring 2 cups of water in a large saucepot to a boil. Add in the old bay seasoning, lemon juice and the lemon, salt, and parsley stems, and a pinch of chili pepper, and the deveined shrimp leaving the shells on (this is important! Either use the butterfly or toothpick method) place them into the pot. When the water comes back to a boil, cook the shrimp for 5 minutes until they turn bright pink. 
2. Meanwhile, prepare the cocktail sauce. In a small bowl combine the ketchup and horseradish and mix until well combined. Set aside. 
3. Remove the shrimp from pot and place them in bowl of ice water to cool down.
4. When the shrimp are cool to the touch (or about 2 minutes), peel them and place them on a decorative platter. Sprinkle the plate decoratively with the parsley leaves. Serve the shrimp with cocktail sauce. 

Note on Chilling Shrimp: if you like your shrimp super chilled, place them in the refrigerator after their ice bath. It takes about 3 hours to chill shrimp. It’s best to place the shrimp in an airtight consider so they do not dry out. I have even chilled the shrimp overnight in a little liquid from the pot, to make them extra savory. 

Note on other Flavors to include you can literarily put whatever you want in the pot to season the shrimp. Other ingredients to include are: chopped celery, bay leaves, chopped shallots, cilantro, lime juice, a drop of Tabasco sauce, to name a few.  

Note on Deveining Shrimp and Peeling Shrimp: I like to devein my shrimp before preparing them. I’ve heard plenty say this is not necessary, however I really like to cook my shrimp with the shells on. I feel the shells protect the tender meat and also add flavor. Check out the videos on deveining for all the tips.