Do you remember the Italian Shrimp Cocktail?
This is a decidedly vintage recipe since it was very popular in the 70s and 80s, a seafood appetizer suitable for all occasions.
I remember as a child when I went to weddings, the delicious shrimp cocktail served in champagne glasses or in glass bowls was the starter.
I didn’t like going to weddings, I was so bored because my parents didn’t let me play with the other children who were running around the tables, because they said we could bother the adults.
I remember that the poor waiters had to sidestep the children, who were running, screaming, and pushing each other, and I also remember the fear of watching the waiters trying not to drop the dishes.
In spite of everything, I enjoyed the appetizer time. I savored these prawns swimming in a pink sauce, all laid out on a bed of romaine lettuce leaves.
By now, if you’ve seen previous recipes, you know that I prefer fresh shrimps, but you can also use frozen ones very well.
Original Italian Shrimp Cocktail Recipe
Ingredients
- 600 g of fresh shrimps or frozen 1.3 lb
- 200 g of mayonnaise 7 oz
- 1 teaspoon of Worcester sauce
- 2 tablespoons of ketchup
- 1 tablespoon of brandy
- a pinch of salt
- 4 roman lettuce leaves
Instructions
- Rinse the shrimps under running water, remove the shells by being careful not to break the body.
- With the help of a toothpick remove the black thread that is in the back of the shrimp (the intestine).
- In a saucepan, put water to boil and cook the shrimps for a few seconds.
- Drain them and let them cool.
- In a bowl put the mayonnaise and mix it together with the ketchup, the Worchester sauce, and the cognac (or brandy).
- Mix carefully so that the sauce (which will have a pink color) is well mixed.
- Add the shrimps to the pink sauce (if they are small, leave them whole, if they are large prawns, cut them into small pieces) and mix well.
- Cut the lettuce leaves into julienne strips.
- At this point all the ingredients are ready, you just have to make the cocktail.
- Take some glasses, lay a layer of lettuce in the bottom, and add 2-3 tablespoons (depending on the size of the glass) of shrimp in a pink sauce.
- Decorate as you wish, I have decorated with a sprinkling of paprika
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