Roasted Shrimp Cocktail

By Kath Dedon

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This Roasted Shrimp Cocktail from Ina Garten is super easy for entertaining! I roasted 5.25 pounds last weekend to take to a gathering of 30 people. It was very well received. I had purchased frozen shrimp, let them defrost in the refrigerator overnight, and then peeled and deveined them. Peeling and deveining them was the most difficult part of the recipe. And it actually wasn’t difficult, it just took some time with 5.25 pounds.

Yesterday I bought 1½ pounds of fresh peeled and deveined shrimp to make it again. The shrimp were large (21 – 25 shrimp per pound). I tossed them on a baking sheet with the oil, salt and pepper and popped them into the preheated oven. I can almost hear Ina say, “How easy is that!”

I got a lot of complements last weekend for the shrimp and the cocktail sauce. Roasting the shrimp does make a difference; it enhances the sweetness and flavor of the shrimp.

The cocktail sauce is the classic sauce that has been popular forever. This version is simply doctored-up ketchup and chili sauce, but just a tiny bit of effort makes it much tastier than bottled cocktail sauce. You can control how spicy you want it with the horseradish and Tabasco. I used Ina’s amounts and thought it was just right, but you could adjust it to suit your taste.

The peeled and deveined shrimp made the recipe amazingly easy! And, it can be made the day before for stress-free entertaining. I made them yesterday to enjoy with my family tonight before going to Crawfish House to celebrate Bob’s birthday!

Happy Birthday to Bob!

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Roasted Shrimp Cocktail

(Adapted from Ina Garten’s recipe on Food Network)

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(print the recipe)

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Serves 6 – 8

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1½ – 2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon kosher salt (use a bit less if you use table salt)

A few grinds of black pepper

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1. Preheat the oven to 400°.

2. Put the shrimp on a rimmed baking sheet large enough to hold them in a single layer.

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3. Pour the oil over the shrimp. Sprinkle the salt over them. Grind some pepper over them. Toss gently with your hands until the oil, salt and pepper are well distributed. Spread the shrimp out on the baking sheet.

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4. Roast for about 8 minutes, or until just done. Set aside to cool. Refrigerate if not serving right away.

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5. Serve with Cocktail Sauce

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Cocktail Sauce

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½ cup ketchup

½ cup chili sauce (I used Heinz, which Ina Garten recommends.)

3 tablespoons prepared horseradish

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

¼ teaspoon Tabasco

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1. Stir all ingredients together. Refrigerate if not serving right away.

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