Ingredients
Method
- Thaw shrimp according to package instructions, then rinse under cold water and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. Place shrimp on a large rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tablespoon olive oil, and sprinkle on ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Stir to combine then arrange shrimp in a single layer.
- Bake at 450˚F for 8-10 min or until shrimp turn pink and are just cooked through.* As soon as they come out of the oven, test a shrimp for doneness then transfer all shrimp to a serving platter. If they stay on the hot baking sheet, they can get overcooked.
- Combine all of the Cocktail Sauce ingredients, adding horseradish and hot sauce to taste (Add more if you love cocktail sauce with a spicy kick and less if you prefer a mild sauce). Cover and refrigerate sauce and shrimp for at least an hour or overnight. Serve chilled.
Nutrition
Notes
Pro Tips:
Buy shell-on shrimp even though it's more work because the shells protect the meat during cooking and add flavor to your poaching liquid - peeled shrimp get waterlogged and lose that firm bite. Add a splash of white rum or beer to your poaching water along with the lemon and bay leaves because the alcohol enhances the shrimp's natural sweetness and gives them a subtle depth you won't get with just citrus. Don't drain your cooked shrimp completely - leave them sitting in about an inch of the cooled poaching liquid in the fridge because this keeps them plump and prevents that dried-out texture you get from naked refrigerated shrimp. Stop cooking the moment they curl into a loose C-shape, not a tight circle, because that tight curl means they're overcooked and will have that bouncy, unpleasant texture that ruins the whole dish.
Buy shell-on shrimp even though it's more work because the shells protect the meat during cooking and add flavor to your poaching liquid - peeled shrimp get waterlogged and lose that firm bite. Add a splash of white rum or beer to your poaching water along with the lemon and bay leaves because the alcohol enhances the shrimp's natural sweetness and gives them a subtle depth you won't get with just citrus. Don't drain your cooked shrimp completely - leave them sitting in about an inch of the cooled poaching liquid in the fridge because this keeps them plump and prevents that dried-out texture you get from naked refrigerated shrimp. Stop cooking the moment they curl into a loose C-shape, not a tight circle, because that tight curl means they're overcooked and will have that bouncy, unpleasant texture that ruins the whole dish.
