Shrimp Cocktail
Instructions
The first thing to do is to put up a pot of water to the boil. In the meantime, remove the shells of the shrimp, but reserve a few with the tails still attached which we'll use for decoration. When the water is at the boil, it's time to add the shrimp and let them cook for just a couple minutes. Then, remove them from the water and let them cool.
As the shrimp are cooling, you can prepare the lettuce. Remove the external leaves from the head and choose 8 fresh and undamaged leaves. Wash and pat them dry. The crunchy internal leaves should be cut into thin strips. Now it's time to assemble the serving cups. Put a pair of leaves into a large wine glass letting them extend a bit outside for decoration, then take a small handful of the lettuce strips and place them in the centre. This will help fill up the bottom of the glass for a nice presentation. Then you can continue with the next assembly steps.
I've put the cocktail sauce in this bowl. Now, add the cooled and dried shrimp, and mix them together. It may seem like there's too much sauce for the shrimp, but this is because the sauce will also dress the lettuce in the cup. If you don't have a large glass like this, any small glass bowl will be fine. Now add a bit of the shrimp cocktail into the centre of the bowl. This amount will yield 4 portions.
For the final touch, decorate the glass with the shrimp with the attached tails. You can add a few blades of chives for a festive touch and finish it all with a sprinkling of chopped parsley. Our shrimp cocktail is finished. From Sonia and GialloZafferano, Happy Holidays and see you next time.
