Cocktail Sauce

This is the red sauce that tastes great on shrimp. I originally started making this in college from the condements they put out in the cafeteria and added that to the recipe from the "Joy of Cooking," 1974 edition. Of course, I have been fooling with it for a few decades. Funny how this doesn't have that "whoosh" taste that horseradish often does.(If you want it spicy add some hot sauce or cayenne pepper.)

• 1 cup ketchup 
• 1 T parsley flakes
• 1/2 tsp lemon pepper
• 3 T prepared horseradish (not the mayonaissey kind)
  
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (juice of 1/2-1 lemon)
• 2 tsp capers (optional)

 Just stir it all together and let it set an hour or more in the refrigerator.

Shrimp or Crab Boil Seasoning

I like to stop by the Asian grocery stores on my way home from church Sunday's around noon. The variety of seafood beats all the other stores. Here is how I fix any sort of shrimp or crab.

Take a large stock pot and fill it 2 inches deep with cold water. Put it on the stove on high heat. While that is coming to a boil you can mix up this combination of spices. Note that various online recipes add ground ginger, chopped chives, whole garlic cloves, celery seeds, thyme, oregano and others. You may want to add these. I don't much like the way dried flake spices bubble up and coat the seafood but you may like the taste.

• 4 T salt
• 1 T ground cayenne pepper
• 2 T whole mustard seeds (yellow)
• 1 T crushed red pepper flakes
• 8 bay leaves (crumbled)
• 1/2 T whole cloves
• 1/2 T whole allspice
• 1 T whole black peppercorns
• 2 T whole coriander
• 1 T dill seeds (not dill weed)

Add 6-8 T (about 2/3 of the above amount) of spice mixture to a stock pot that's 10" in diameter. A 12" pot needs the whole amount (10-12 T) as it holds 50% more water when 2" deep.

Bring this to a boil covered.

Add 2 lb of seafood. It should not be frozen. Leave on high heat unless it starts to boil over. (In that case, turn the heat down or adjust the lid to let some air in.)

2 lb or shrip, crawfish or crab need to cook for about 5 minutes. Don't overcook.
A 2 lb lobster take about 10 minutes. 2-1 lb lobsters would be somewhat less.

Remove the seafood with tongs or a strainer. Bring the pot back to a boil and cook some more. You can use the seasoned mixture 2 or 3 times.

(On a side note, with shrimp or crawfish, you can cook whole corn on the cob or small potatoes in the same water if you like. Corn takes about 10 min. Potatoes about 15 depending on the size. Add them first and then add the seafood for the last bit.)

Orange Shrimp

Eat these with your fingers by removing the shells and popping the shrimp in your mouth. Its a mess. There is enough to serve two or three in a pinch.

I came up with this a couple of years ago when dining alone. I just put stuff I liked in with some raw shrimp and fell in love with the taste -- who could not like garlic, shrimp, orange and salt with that touch of sweetness from the white wine. But its not for everyone. You have to not hate peeling shrimp as you eat.

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp crushed red pepper
• zest of 1 orange
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp chicken bouillon (or 1 cube chicken bouillon crushed or 1 tsp salt)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 lb raw shrimp in the shell with heads removed OR 3/4 lb raw shrimp with the heads on

Melt the butter in a skillet on low heat and stir in all the other ingredients except the shrimp. Stir well, increase to medium heat and add the shrimp. Saute around 30 seconds on each side.

Add

• 1/2 c white wine (drinking wine, not cooking wine)
• 1/2 c chicken broth (optional)

Bring to a simmer and cook for a minute more on each side and remove the shrimp to a serving bowl. Do not over cook.

Increase the heat to medium high and reduce the sauce left in the skillet until it thickens slightly. Be sure to stir continuously to keep it from boiling. Remove from heat. Pour it over the shrimp and serve immediately.

These are eaten by popping off the head, removing the shell by hand, dipping the shrimp meat in the sauce and eating. Like I said, its a very messy dish.Serve with plenty of napkins.