New Take on Shrimp Cocktail

I have the most amazing shrimp cocktail recipe for you. Instead of buying the cocktail sauce, make your own. Believe me, the few little changes I have made takes this dish from ho-hum to terrific.

5 Star Shrimp Cocktail

1 lb raw jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 lemon
1 orange
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 green onion, green part only, sliced thinly
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped finely
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tsp horseradish
2 tbsp Grand Marnier
Extra Light, Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

For the Shrimp: in a large bowl, add the shrimp, the zest of 1/2 the lemon, the zest of 1/2 the orange, juice from 1/2 the lemon, 3 cloves minced garlic, drizzle of olive oil, and a drizzle of Grand Marnier and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. This is the marinade for the shrimp, let sit for 1 hour (not more, the lemon juice and the Grand Marnier will start to "cook" your shrimp and will make them tough and rubbery.)

For the Cocktail Sauce: in a small bowl, combine ketchup, horseradish (be sure to taste as you add it slowly, so to not make it too spicy and overpowering), the parsley (reserving 1 tbsp), 1 minced garlic clove, the sliced greens from the green onion, 2 tbsp Grand Marnier, the zest of 1/2 lemon, the zest of 1/2 orange, the juice from 1/2 lemon, salt and pepper to taste. Stir well, and set aside.

For the sauce to drizzle on the shrimp after they have cooked: add 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 tbsp parley, salt and pepper.

To cook the shrimp, heat a non-stick fry pan over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil, add shrimp. Now here is the MOST important tip to remember- DO NOT OVERCOOK THE SHRIMP!!! As the shrimp cooks, you will notice they start to turn translucent and pink, that is when they need turned. From that point cook the shrimp no more than 1 minute on the second side. You will only be cooking the shrimp 3-4 minutes total!! Now remove the shrimp from the pan and put into a bowl.

Drizzle the shrimp with the olive oil and lemon juice sauce, serve warm with the cocktail dipping sauce.

I made this recipe along with a Ribeye steak for my husband for Valentine's Day. Try this recipe for a special dinner with someone special, and you'll knock their socks off!