Serving shrimp cocktail is an unabashed exercise in opulence. No party needs a shrimp cocktail, but every party would benefit from one. Put out a shrimp cocktail and watch your guests settle into their new party girl personas; nails clinking against the sides of their chilled white wine glasses.
While a classic shrimp cocktail served with its signature zippy red sauce is plenty celebratory (sometimes celebratory enough that just a few shrimp goes for $30 in posh restaurants), this summer we are taking shrimp cocktail to the max. One dipping sauce will no longer do, nor will two: It’s time to take a maximalist approach and serve your shrimp cocktail with three sauces. Why? Because it’s 2023 and we have been through a lot, so, in the words of Kesha, “It’s about damn time to live it up.”
For ketchup skeptics and fresh cilantro fanatics, I created a version of the classic cocktail sauce that swaps out all of the red ingredients for green ones. In place of the sugary red tomato base is salsa verde—yes, store-bought is fine. Blend the salsa with fresh cilantro, avocado, lime juice, and green hot sauce to create a bright and refreshing base that’s prime for dipping shrimp in. To reinforce the retro cocktail sauce flavor, you’ll add prepared horseradish to lend a characteristic back-of-the-throat heat. Fans of the sharp bite of cocktail sauce and the herby freshness of green sauces like aji verde will find much pleasure in dunking their shrimp in this verdant addition.
My second nomination for the shrimp cocktail sauce hall of fame is a creamy-yet-refreshing remoulade spiked with Old Bay seasoning. While the term “remoulade” can refer to a classic French condiment reminiscent of tartar sauce, this one is more like the Louisiana-style versions you might eat with fried or boiled shrimp. It’s punctuated with mustard, garlic, capers, and hot sauce. Think of it as tartar sauce with the volume turned up: it’s infused with bold flavors that cut through the richness of the mayonnaise, balanced with salty, savory sharpness from the Old Bay. The celery salt, paprika, and spices found in Old Bay gives the remoulade an added savory flavor and slight heat that pairs perfectly with shrimp.
The final sauce, the beloved red cocktail sauce, is here to stay. It’s a classic for a reason, and our version, which skews heavy on the lemon and horseradish, is fresh, zingy, and the ideal foil for rich shrimp. Together, these three sauces turn shrimp cocktail into a delightful group activity, allowing guests to dip into whatever flavor they want, trying out new personas as the night unfolds.
While exciting sauces go a long way, well-seasoned and precisely cooked shrimp are of equal importance: My recipe poaches the shell-on (but deveined) shrimp in a flavorful jacuzzi where halved lemons bob alongside more Old Bay and a generous amount of salt. As soon as the timer has hit three minutes, I add ice to the pot to halt the cooking. Unlike draining or rinsing the shrimp (a go-to method for some other shrimp cocktail recipes), this method preserves all of the nuances of the broth so the shrimp, even before they get dunked in sauce, are plenty flavorful all on their own. Serving the shrimp on crushed ice not only creates a glitzy raw bar presentation, but ensures that the shrimp stay chilled during the party.
Of course you could choose one sauce to keep things easy, but if you’re gonna go to the trouble to make shrimp cocktail in the first place, you might as well make it the ultimate shrimp cocktail experience. Take twenty extra minutes, whip up a trio of sauces, and kick your party into overdrive; your guests will thank you.
