The Shrimp Cocktail

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Well we always have the best seafood on New Years Day. So tonight i made lobster tals, dungenous crab and shrimp cocktails. I wanted to find new recipes for all. I tried Alton Brown's recipe but after the less then perfect ratings I decided to make half with my old method, of boiling in beer and Old bay seasoning and this recipe. I did only have the 15/lb in my freezer. I brined it per the recipe and cooked it one minute longer since i was using larger shrimp. I then tested both on my hubby and adult son. Both preferred the boiled shrimp, but I like this recipe much better. It was more firm and tasty to me. I made sure not to brine it too long and actually rinsed after 20 minutes. I thought it was great but rest of family did not.

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I have been making Alton's shrip for years. I alway have to double the batch and take copies of the recipe. People can't get enough.

Thanks

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I love shrimp cocktail and this preparation beats them all. The shrimp come out with a warm beautiful color and a snap when you bite them instead of pale and limp. I'm a convert. I added fresh lemon juice to the cocktail sauce to give it a fresh vesty taste. It's my go-to shrimp recipe. I used the leftovers for a shrimp and pasta recipe the next day.

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This recipe is time consuming and tedious but oh so worth it. The BEST shrimp cocktail ever!

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I tried to substitute frozen shrimp for this recipe because they are more economical. After several failed attempts I discovered that frozen shrimp are processed with salt so essentially they are pre-brined. So another salt bath is overkill. Once I figured this out the recipe turned out great.

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This was easy enough to make, and it was delicious! Peeling the shrimp when you are eating it makes it more fun to eat and [I think] makes it taste better. The cocktail sauce is amazing We served this as an appetizer, so peeling at the dinner table was not a problem. We will probably never buy shrimp cocktail again.

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I was old-school when it came to shrimp cocktail. Drop shrimp in boiling water for 5 minutes, shock them in ice water, serve.

OK, this recipe does work, though being single I was not going to buy 32 shrimp for dinner, I went with eight. I cut the brine recipe in half and found the shrimp to be a bit salty.

As for the other flavor using the Old Bay and the tenderness of the shrimp, that is where this recipe shines.

One small criticism for Alton on this recipe, he say's "Chill and Serve", but nothing about peeling shrimp before serving. Alton, do you want your guests peeling shrimp at the dinner table?

Attention to details Alton, that is why you are the host of Iron Chef America.

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I made this other night for my friend and I. I thought it was absolutely perfect... my friend thought so as well : Thanks Alton!

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Years ago, before I knew who Alton Brown was, I was surfing stations and saw this episode. It got me to watch Good Eats, and now, whenever I want a Shrimp Cocktail, I return to this recipe.

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If it's not great, blame yourself or your ingredients. Here are the issues before you make this recipe:

1. Kosher salt does not measure the same as table salt.
2. Frozen shrimp are what 90% of this country has to deal with. Obviously fresh shrimp don't always work well in this recipe. Processing an ingredient with something like a brine is to make up for the inferior (frozen product the vast majority of us need to deal with. Shut up and enjoy your fresh seafood (you jerks in the myriad of OTHER ways it can be prepared.
3. If you're making the sauce, don't use old ingredients. Someone rated it a one because they used old horseradish and it came out mild. It should be blatantly obvious if your horseradish is old. If you're not blowing your nose after sniffing it, it's probably no good.
4. 25 minutes is 25 minutes. I went over by 5 minutes once, and yes, they were too salty.

I hope people read these reviews before they make the recipe. Otherwise, we'll be hearing more numbskulls whine about a DELICIOUS recipe that everyone else seems to be making successfully time and again.