The complete method
How to make shrimp cocktail for a party
A complete method for shrimp cocktail at party scale: how much to buy, how to poach without rubber, and how to build an ice bed.…
The archive
Recipes &
serving notes
Quantities
How many shrimp per person
How much shrimp to buy per person for a cocktail platter, by count size and by occasion, with a table for four to fifty guests.…
Service
How to keep shrimp cold on a buffet
How to keep a shrimp cocktail platter cold on a buffet: crushed versus cubed ice, the pre-chill step, and staging a second tray.…
Sauces
The best sauce for shrimp cocktail
Four shrimp cocktail sauces worth making: a proper classic, Greek ladolemono, mignonette for oysters and a caper remoulade.…
Method
How to poach shrimp without overcooking
The poaching method for cold shrimp: seasoned court bouillon, heat off, two to three minutes, and the C-versus-O test that tells y…
Buying
Shrimp count sizes explained
A plain explanation of shrimp count sizes: what 16/20 and U/12 mean, why jumbo is a marketing term, and which size to buy.…
The holidays
Shrimp cocktail platter ideas for Christmas Eve
How to build a shrimp cocktail platter for Christmas Eve: three arrangements, quantities for a crowd, and a timing plan.…
The holidays
The Feast of the Seven Fishes cold course
How to plan the cold course for a Feast of the Seven Fishes: which of the seven to serve cold, quantities, and a timing plan.…
Take it all with you
The Chilled Presentation Playbook collects every method here into one PDF, with twelve sauces and a timed prep schedule for a table of twelve.
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