Colossal Shrimp and Cocktail Sauce

When it comes to luxurious appetizers nothing beats

cold shrimp with cocktail sauce around here at

Purple Chocolat Home.

So many pre-cooked shrimp are soft and filled with

salty water but I have found 

absolutely fabulous shrimp

(for those of us who don't live by the ocean)

at Sam's Club.

Sam's Club is out of the way for me so I really only

have my membership there for these

Colossal Cooked Shrimp (21-25 per lb.)

found in the frozen food section.

I always buy a few extra bags to have on hand in the freezer.

Don't be confused and buy their Colossal Uncooked Shrimp!

By the time you cooked those up, they were no longer Colossal

and were unimpressive.

BUT...

even if you have great shrimp, 

if you have horrible cocktail sauce,

 you will have wasted your money.

Cocktail sauce is so easy to make - don't ever

use bottled - a sensitive palate like mine will taste

the chemicals!!!!

Super Easy and Delish Cocktail Sauce

1 C. ketchup

3-5 tsp. extra hot horseradish (you want a

kick - add as much kick as you like)

juice of 1 fresh lemon

20 grinds of freshly ground pepper

1/4 tsp. sugar

Mix the above and chill.  The ground pepper adds a great

depth of flavor and everyone will be wanting your recipe.

After thawing the shrimp by filling the open bag with cold water

and then draining, I always, always, always squeeze fresh lemon

over the shrimp.  The lemon juice brightens the flavor of the

shrimp and takes away any fishy smell.

Serve over a bed of ice with lemon wedges.

I love to serve these beauties in my pewter shell dish

that I brought home from Cabo, but the good news is

that I have often seen large shell dishes like this at

our favorite Home Goods or TJMaxx stores.

I forgive you if you don't love shrimp!

As a matter of fact, that just leaves more for the rest of us

shrimp lovers!

I grew to love shrimp when I was young.  My

mother would always splurge on shrimp when 

she received a raise at work and we saw them 

as a super special indulgence.

I will be posting this with

Foodie Friday

On the Menu Monday

King Crab Cocktail with Dipping Sauces - Third Course in our Spring Garden Party

"Love is blind; friendship closes its eyes." - Proverb on friendship

This is the third course in our Spring Garden Party that got rained out and moved into the house.  I hope you have friends you cook dinner together with.  This group has been getting together for about 20 years now.  If not, get a dinner group started.

   King crab legs have become one of our special traditions.  We always serve it for Christmas Eve and for Mother's Day.  For our party we decided to serve it cold and already out of the shell.  Our friends were so grateful for that.

   I bought both of these cute dishes at TJ Maxx.  The shell plates I found last year and could only find six, but this year they had a few more.  I love shopping there.  I told my husband it is like going on a treasure hunt.  The little crab bowls were this year also.  I only saw them at one TJ Maxx store, but maybe they will have a few more next year.

   Usually we bake the crab at 400 degrees for 20 minutes and serve it hot with sourdough bread and melted butter with lemons and limes.  It was already pre-cooked, so my husband just opened the shells.  We had each of the dishes portioned out into glass ramekins so that when we were ready to go we could just place the crab on crushed ice.  I love the ice they sell at Sonic Drive In, if you have one.  It is the little square shaped ice.  We bought that.  It makes for a nicer presentation.  We had the lemons cut and we stuck a toothpick in them and stood them up in the ice.  We placed a spring leaf of lettuce from the garden on top of the ice, then topped it with the crab.

   The crab bowls came in four colors.  I especially loved the green, but alas, they only had one in the green.

Cocktail Sauce

1 C. ketchup
4-5 tsp. extra hot horseradish
Juice of 1 lemon
20 grinds of freshly ground black pepper

Mix all together.  Adjust seasoning to taste.  Can be served immediately.

Lemon Dijon Mayonnaise

1/2 C. mayonnaise
4-5 tsp. Grey Poupon Mustard
Squeeze of fresh lemon  juice

Mix all together.  Adjust seasoning to taste.  Can be served immediately.

This course was also served with the Crusty Bread.  Each person had their own plate of crab.  We also served melted butter and lemons as a third sauce - the most traditional with King crab legs.

My next post will finish out our dinner party  with four courses.  Invite some friends over.  There is nothing like opening your home to friends.

Let me know about what dinners you have done with friends.  I would love to know.  My next post will finish out the four course dinner.