The Extra Step That Makes Ina Garten's Shrimp Cocktail A Tastier Appetizer

A shrimp cocktail is the perfect example of an elegant appetizer that doesn't require much fuss. Poach the seafood, whip up a quick cocktail sauce, and serve. Yet boiled food typically misses out on the extra flavor other cooking techniques can impart. Chef Ina Garten keeps this in mind when she puts together a shrimp cocktail and turns her gaze from the stove to the oven.

The Barefoot Contessa has a host of hacks for throwing the best dinner parties. She shared how she prepares a classic shrimp cocktail on YouTube so the rest of us can level up the appetizer the way she does. While the initial steps of peeling the shellfish with the tail attached and studiously deveining it remain the same, the next step breaks free from the conventional method of simmering shrimp. Instead, Garten grabs a sheet pan and lays the crustaceans out on the surface. She then coats them with two tablespoons of olive oil, pepper, and the type of salt she uses in all her recipes.

After spacing out the shrimp so they all cook evenly, Garten pops the sheet pan into the oven. After eight to 10 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, they come out of the oven with a vibrant color and an enticing roasted flavor you simply don't get from poaching. Unlike many boiled shrimp cocktail recipes, Garten prefers to serve hers warm or room temperature, another one of the features that sets her appetizer apart from the rest.

To many, a martini glass flaunting puny crustaceans circling the rim is about as lackluster as a shrimp cocktail can be. Yet some labels on store-bought shrimp can be deceiving. "Jumbo" and "extra large" are words sometimes emblazoned the package, but those terms are subjective. When Ina Garten looks for the star of her appetizer, she searches for specific numbers that accurately identify the size of the shellfish inside the bag. She seeks out packages labeled "12-15 count," whiuch mean there are 12 to 15 shrimp per pound. These are the big boys you want to showcase to guests.

The perfect complement to a delectable shrimp cocktail is a sublime sauce. Garten follows her recipe to a T when she creates the condiment, which includes some added heat that renders balance into every bite. In a mixing bowl, she combines half a cup each of chili sauce and ketchup, harmonizing sweet and spicy. She then tosses in three tablespoons of cocktail sauce's signature horseradish for more heat, along with a splash of Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco for added flavor. She finishes it off with a couple of teaspoons of fresh lemon juice to wake it up and gives the concoction a vigorous stir. The entire appetizer can be assembled in less than an hour and folks will readily notice the difference between the humdrum shrimp cocktails they have had in the past and Ina Garten's upgraded version of this straightforward crowd-pleaser.