Spicy Lemony Shrimp Cocktail
Comments: While traditional shrimp cocktail recipes are made with a tasty tomato sauce, the white wine and lemon juice mixture of this California-style shrimp cocktail enhances the natural sweet taste of shrimp instead of changing it.
Sweet red pepper, red onion and ripe olives do not only flavor, they also add different color and textures.
These shrimps are also excellent served as appetizers, along with a cocktail or a wine, such as a dry Fume Blanc or a medium Chardonnay.
Servings: 4 to 6
IngredientsPreparation
  • 1 pound [454 g] large or medium fresh shrimps [approximately 14 to 16 large, 30 medium]
  • 1 cup [250 mL] water
  • 1 cup [250 mL] dry white wine
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 small red pepper, membranes removed and seeded, thinly sliced
  • 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup [125 mL] stoned ripe olives, halved
  • 1 medium lemon, peeled and seeded, thinly sliced
  • Red lettuce leaves, to serve
Marinade
  • 1/2 cup [125 mL] freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup [125 mL] olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon [15 mL] red wine vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic, mincede
  • 1 tablespoon [15 mL] dry mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon [1 mL] Cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon [2.5 mL] salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon [0.5 mL] grossly crushed black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon [15 mL] freshly finely chopped parsley
  • Leaving tails on, shell and deveine shrimps.
  • Pour water and dry white wine into an 8-cup [2-L] casserole.
  • Add bay leaf and bring to a boil.
  • Add prepared shrimps, lower heat and leave to simmer slowly for 3 to 5 minutes, until they turn pink outside and are done to the middle inside, no more.
  • Using a slotted spoon, transfer shrimps into a bowl.
  • Add red pepper slices to cooking liquid; press in water until soaked.
  • Leave to simmer over medium heat for 1 minute.
  • Remove using slotted spoon; leave to drain onto paper toweling before adding to the bowl.
  • Add red onion slices, ripe olive halves and lemon slices to shrimp mixture.
  • Into a clean bowl, mix together all marinade ingredients before pouring it all over shrimp mixture.
  • Refrigerate mixture for at least 4 hours, 12 hours maximum.
  • To serve, use a clean slotted spoon to remove the shrimps from the marinade.
  • Leave shrimps to drain onto paper toweling before serving onto individual plates over red lettuce leaves, each serving sprinkled with a little of the marinade.