Brine Cooked Shrimp With Spicy Cocktail Sauce

It was a hot summer night, and I wanted to make Robert and myself something light, cool, and refreshing. So, what would be more perfect than a Spicy Shrimp Cocktail? I always have a bag of frozen jumbo shrimp in my freezer, lemons in the refrigerator, and more condiments that will fit in the refrigerator door. Not to mention, we have such a large array of spices I decided to categorize them into bins alphabetically on a shelf in our kitchen.

You can easily thaw a bag of precooked/prevented shrimp, take a bottle of premade cocktail sauce out of the refrigerator, and call it a day. I'm not that type of girl. I wanted to create a depth of flavor and freshness you can't get from the premade stuff. So here is the recipe.

Shrimp Cooked in a Brine

• 1 lb Raw jumbo shrimp, pre-deviled (peel and leave tails on)
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 Tablespoon peppercorns
• ½ Tsp salt and pepper
• 1 Tsp chili flake
• 4 Whole cloves
• 1 Lemon Juiced (reserve the juice for the sauce)
• Ice on hand for cooling the shrimp

Spicy Cocktail Sauce

• ⅓ Cup ketchup
• 2 Tsp horseradish
• 1 Tsp Worcester sauce
• Juice from 1 lemon
• ½ Tsp onion powder
• ½ Tsp garlic powder
• ½ Tablespoon Chili pepper sauce (we used our homemade serrano sauce)
• 1 Tablespoon parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation - 20 minutes Cook time - 1 minute Serves 2-4

1. Start out by peeling the shrimp, leaving the tail on for a better presentation. Set aside.
2. Fill a medium-sized stock pot with water and all the ingredients for the brine. Allow the water to get to a light boil. Place the shrimp in the boiling brine and watch carefully for them to start to turn pink. Drain the shrimp immediately. Place a layer of ice in a large bowl, then put the shrimp on top. Add another layer of ice on top of the shrimp. This will stop the cooking process and not dilute the brine's flavor.
3. Start by placing all of the cocktail ingredients together in a medium bowl. Then, stir everything together. Taste the sauce and adjust it to your liking.
4. We decided to plate old-school style with a martini glass. You can easily place the finished sauce in a small bowl over a small platter and place the shrimp around the sauce. It is completely up to you. Please enjoy!