You can never go wrong with a Classic Shrimp Cocktail for you Super Bowl Game Day food, or for that matter any game, party or just at home with your family! Shrimp, cocktail sauce, lemon, chilled to perfection – what’s not to love!
Super Bowl Game Day Food! Classic Shrimp Cocktail
You can do this in advance. The shrimp can be poached and peeled the day before and keep it chilled in the refrigerator. You can make the sauce the day before also, keeping it chilled. The day of your get together, layer a large platter with ice, add your shrimp with some lemon wedges, the beautiful cocktail sauce! Voila! A scrumptious, always a favorite appetizer staged in a few minutes!
I buy the large head on shrimp that I get from HEB because I like to keep the heads and shells for making stocks. Here’s the link for my shrimp that I buy: https://www.heb.com/product-detail/previously-frozen-raw-texas-white-head-on-farm-raised/546265. They are actually on sale this week. I usually pay $7.47 a pound for the head on and those that the head has been removed are double that price. Another reason to buy the head on!
You want to devein the shrimp before cooking. Here’s a tool to easily complete that task:https://amzn.to/2u6z1fl.
Super Bowl Game Day Food! Classic Shrimp Cocktail
Here’s another recipe for your game day! My Tandoori Chicken Wings: https://the2spoons.com/perfect-for-game-day-tandoori-chicken-wings/.
Here’s the simple recipe for the Classic Shrimp Cocktail!
Classic Shrimp Cocktail
Ingredients
For the Shrimp
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 lemons
- 1 lb jumbo shell on shrimp, deveined
Cocktail Sauce and Assembly
- 1 cup chili sauce (preferably Heinz)
- 3/4 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp prepared horseradish
- 2 cups freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 tsp hot sauce (I use Tabasco)
- Lemon Wedges for serving
Instructions
Shrimp
- Scoop 8 cups ice into a large bowl; set aside. Combine salt, sugar, and 6 cups water in a large saucepan. Cut lemons in half, squeeze juice into pot, and toss in lemon halves. Bring liquid to a boil, stirring to dissolve salt and sugar, then remove pot from heat. Add shrimp and poach, uncovered, 3½ minutes.
- Immediately add reserved ice to saucepan to rapidly chill the liquid and stop the cooking. Let shrimp sit in ice bath 10 minutes. Drain, pat dry, and peel. Pat dry again. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
- Do Ahead: Shrimp can be poached and peeled 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.
Cocktail Sauce and Assembly
- Mix chili sauce, lemon zest, lemon juice, horseradish, pepper, and hot sauce in a small bowl. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
- Serve shrimp on cracked ice with lemon wedges and cocktail sauce alongside.
- Do Ahead: Sauce can be made up to 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.