Easy Appetizer Recipes
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Simply Delicious Shrimp Cocktail Appetizer
This shrimp cocktail recipe will never fail to please. Raw shrimp is brined and seasoned before being broiled in the shell. This method gives the shrimp lots of flavor while keeping the meat moist. The seasoning gives that extra boost to the shrimp, making it so delicious that you do not have to slather it in cocktail sauce unless you want to.
Serve this delectable dish as a snack, an appetizer or as a side dish. It is an easy appetizer to make. Make sure you get good quality shrimp. Good shrimp should be meaty, sweet, and tender. Shrimp cooks easily in hot weather, in acidic juices like lemon juice and even if you are preparing them in a warm room. Keep them cold until the moment they go under the broiler to avoid mushiness.
Serve them up on a large platter or do individual servings using martini or margarita glasses. Fill the glasses with ice and hang the shrimp over the side. You can set small dishes of cocktail sauce alongside if you wish or add a dollop in the center of the glass on top of the ice instead of the garnish. We garnished our shrimp with lemon, parsley, and maraschino cherries, but you can use a simple sprig of parsley or even part of a celery stalk and some lemon slices.
Perfect Shrimp on Ice
Ingredients -
2 cups hot tap water
½ cup table sugar
½ cup kosher salt
2 cups ice
2 pounds jumbo shrimp (about 12 shrimp per pound) in the shell
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Old Bay seasoning
Preparation:
dissolved, leaving the water clear. Add ice to cool the brine so the shrimp do not cook while soaking.
Add shrimp to cool brine. Submerge the shrimp completely. Let the shrimp soak for half an hour.
Heat your broiler during the last ten minutes that the shrimp are soaking. Warm your broiling tray in the oven until it is hot.
Remove the shrimp from the brine and dispose of the brine. Rinse and dry the bowl.
Pour the olive oil into the bowl and add a liberal amount of Old Bay Seasoning. The seasoning may give the shrimp the look of being dirty, but the flavor is worth it.
Mix the seasoning and the oil, and then add the shrimp. Toss well until all the shrimp are coated.
Carefully remove the hot broiler pan from the oven and put the shrimp on the tray. They will sizzle as soon as they touch the hot pan.
Broil for 4 minutes. Flip the shrimp and broil another 3 minutes.
Remove from oven.
Place the hot shrimp on a plate and cover them. Place them in the refrigerator until cold.
Remove the shells from the shrimp, leaving the tail in place.
Serve on ice with or without cocktail sauce.
(Makes 24 appetizers)
Photo Description:
Everyone loves shrimp cocktail. These tasty shrimp appetizers never get boring. Our special recipe here will be the hit at your next party or get together. The delicious shrimp are brined, seasoned, and broiled to perfection. Enjoy them hot or, if you can restrain yourself from eating them long enough for them to cool, eat them cold with or without cocktail sauce. You can arrange them in a glass with ice as we did, or you can serve them in a bowl or platter nested into a larger container full of ice to keep them cold.
