The subtle details of cooking matter most when you’re making something simple. If you’re preparing a steak — which has a very short ingredient list and relies heavily on the sear — just a few degrees difference in temperature can yield dramatically different results. On the other hand, if you forget to toast the nuts in a salad with greens, fruit, dressing, cheese, and herbs, I doubt many will notice.
Among the simple dishes I love most, there’s one I tend to crave this time of year: shrimp cocktail. As with steak, getting the small details right is key to making a great shrimp cocktail, from making sure the shellfish isn’t overcooked to balancing the seasoning in the sauce.
When it comes to nailing the details of this elegant appetizer, it’s unsurprising that legendary French chef Jacques Pépin is an expert. The cookbook author, TV personality, and culinary educator has a simple trick for adding a layer of flavor to shrimp cocktail that most people overlook. And he’s shown us exactly how to do it.
In a clip shared on his social media last December, Pépin demonstrated how he makes shrimp cocktail — and there’s one crucial difference from most recipes for the appetizer that you’ll see. Instead of poaching the shrimp in water, which doesn’t add any extra flavor to the shellfish, the French chef cooks them in a quick homemade shrimp stock.
This is less intimidating than it sounds — unlike chicken stock, shrimp stock doesn’t need to simmer for hours — and it leverages an ingredient you can get for free when you’re already buying the crustaceans: their shells.
Pépin starts with eight ounces of large shrimp (this isn’t a lot; it’s about six large shrimp, so scale the recipe up accordingly if you’re entertaining), removing their shells and setting the meat aside. The shells go into a medium saucepot along with a pinch of crushed red pepper, one cup of water (remember, this is only for six large shrimp), a dash of herbes de Provence or Italian seasoning, two tablespoons of white wine vinegar, and two tablespoons of diced onion.
The chef brings the mixture to a boil and cooks it for five minutes. Taste it to see if the liquid has developed enough flavor, but after five minutes or just a little bit longer, your stock should be ready. Turn off the heat and strain the liquid.
Return the hot liquid to the pot along with the peeled shrimp. Bring everything back to a boil, then remove it from the heat immediately. The shellfish requires so little time to cook that it yields the perfect level of doneness without risking chewy, overcooked results. Let the shrimp and stock cool in the pot, then move them to the refrigerator to chill. This is a key part of Pépin’s method: the shrimp aren’t just cooked in the potent broth; they’re also marinated in it until it’s time to serve.
The more than 30-time cookbook author whips up a quick homemade cocktail sauce, too, featuring ketchup, Sriracha, grated horseradish, and rice vinegar. (If you’re wondering where the salt is, both Sriracha and ketchup contribute plenty of salinity.)
This classic cocktail sauce isn’t the only condiment that Pépin serves alongside his shrimp cocktail. Once the shellfish are chilled, he removes them from the stock and serves the poached shrimp alongside a bowl of cocktail sauce and a small glass of the savory, seafood-infused stock for dipping. If you’re searching for a shrimp cocktail that really spotlights the shellfish itself, this is it.
Dining and Cooking