This easy to make, perfect beer poached shrimp cocktail is a flawless way to start every party!  Served with creamy remoulade sauce and packed with flavor, this delicious duo is guaranteed to be a hit!

*Updated*

This post was originally published in September 2015.  I re-edited photos, tweaked the recipe slightly and updated the post below to include more information about this Easy Perfect Beer Poached Shrimp Cocktail with Remoulade recipe.  Plus, I added a recipe video to show you how easy this homemade shrimp cocktail is to make!  

Hi you guys!

Today we are skipping formalities today, because I have big news!  Wait, let me correct myself.  I have bigger than big news.

But, before I get to that, I have someone I would like to thank.  I know… hold your horses, we will get to the news, I promise!

This, yet to be disclosed, ginormous news would not be possible without my friend, Traci over at Vanilla and Bean.  Not only do I highly respect her and love her blog, she helped make something essential in my life possible.

So, what is it you ask??

She helped name our house!!

Drum roll please…

Name:  SuBourbon Country Cottage

Love it?  We do!

And, such a splendid occasion calls for some delicious eats, right?  Today’s dish totally fits the bill…

Perfect Beer Poached Shrimp Cocktail with Remoulade Sauce

To be honest, I was never going to post this cocktail and remoulade, even though I make it all the time.

Why?  Because I thought it was a bit too simple.

But, after I made this for my Mom and Mod (My.Other.Dad) on their recent visit, they insisted I post it, and said it is far better than any shrimp cocktail offered at high end steakhouses.   They also kept asking how I got the shrimp to be SO flavorful.  So, Mom and Mod, this post is dedicated to you!  (xoxo)

I will never say anything is “the best” because I have not tried EVERYTHING out there, but you guys, these cocktail shrimp really are perfect.  They are plump, succulent, and unbelievably flavor.  And, they have a marvelous melt in your mouth, tender, buttery quality to them that makes them just divine!

Most people serve their shrimp cocktail with cocktail sauce, crazy I know.  And, while I do love cocktail sauce, I actually prefer Remoulade sauce.  It’s creamy, rich, tangy, tart, a bit salty, a touch herbaceous, and slightly mustardy with undertones of spicy Cajun flavors.  I adore this creamy dip and have been caught licking the bowl clean (and occasionally bathing in it).

YOLO, friends!

So what sets these lil’ shrimp beauties apart from the rest…

How to make the best shrimp cocktail?

1. Toss the peeled and deveined shrimp in baking soda and salt.  This keeps the shrimp super plump and prevents them from losing all their moisture when cooked.
2. Prepare your own poaching liquid.  Combining the shrimp shells, roughly chopped veggies and beer yields a tasty broth, which adds lots of flavor to the shrimp.
3. Poach the shrimp.  Instead of roasting or boiling them, poaching the shrimp keeps them succulent and juicy.
4. But, the most essential tip – place the poached shrimp into Ziploc bags BEFORE shocking them to stop the cooking.  Since we took care to add so much texture and flavor to the shrimp, prior to and during cooking, why rinse it off?!  No, No, No, NO!  Placing them in the Ziploc bag keeps all that deliciousness IN the shrimp.  This is crucial.

How to serve shrimp cocktail?

There are numerous ways you can serve shrimp cocktail, and none of them are wrong!  I suggest you serve your poached prawns and dipping sauce in whatever manner suits you and “atmosphere” of your party.  Below are a few suggestions for how to serve shrimp cocktail.

• Mini martini glasses or shot glasses.  Loop the shrimp over the edge of the glass and fill the inside with remoulade or cocktail sauce.
• A glass bowl or trifle dish.  Fill the bowl the bowl halfway full with ice and place a small bowl of desired sauce on top of the ice.  Top the bowl with more ice, filling the ice around the small bowl of sauce, and then add the shrimp on top of the ice.
• Cold platter.  Place a platter in the freezer to chill.  When ready to serve, add the shrimp on top of the platter along with a bowl of desired sauce.

Don’t forget to add a few lemon wedges for guests to squeeze over their shrimp cocktail if desired!  Also, you can add a few sprigs of fresh parsley for a bit of color and aesthetics if desired!  

How much shrimp cocktail per person?

General rule for entertaining, when in doubt, it doesn’t hurt to be generous.

With that said, the exact number of shrimp cocktail you serve per person will depend on the size of the shrimp, how generous you want to be, and how many other appetizers you are serving.

As a general guideline, estimate two to three (medium to large) shrimp per person as an appetizer, if there are other nibbles available on the menu.  However, if you are serving Perfect Beer Poached Shrimp Cocktail as the only appetizer, I would scale up the count significantly.

How long will shrimp cocktail keep in the refrigerator?

Cooked, or poached shrimp cocktail should be stored in an airtight container, or zip-closure bag, in the refrigerator.  Properly stored shrimp cocktail will keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

This Perfect Beer Poached Shrimp Cocktail with Remoulade is not only easy-peasy to make, it is also crazy delicious and perfect for any occasion!

So, go grab your favorite brew and a pound or two of jumbo crustaceans.  Do a little poach, dip and have yourself a shrimp cocktail smorgasbord your tummy will remember.

Until next time, Cheers and happy Shrimpin’!

XOXO

Cheyanne

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How to make homemade Perfect Beer Poached Shrimp Cocktail with Remoulade recipe👇

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Perfect Beer Poached Shrimp Cocktail with Remoulade

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

50 mins

 

Succulent beer poached shrimp served with creamy remoulade sauce.  

Course: Appetizer, Snack, starter

Cuisine: American

Keyword: BBQ Sauce, beer, best, cocktail, Easy, perfect, poached, prawn, quick, remoulade, shrimp

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 181 kcal

Author: Cheyanne Holzworth

Ingredients

Shrimp Cocktail:

• 1 ½- 2 Pounds Large Shrimp *
• 2 TBS + 1 tsp Kosher Salt , divided
• ½ tsp Baking Soda
• 6 Cups Water
• 2 ½ Cups Beer *
• 2 large Stalks Celery – roughly chopped
• 1 medium Yellow Onion – roughly chopped
• 3 large Cloves Garlic – smashed and peeled
• 2'' knob Fresh Ginger – peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 large sprigs fresh Flat Leaf Parsley
• 1 1/2 TBS Lemon Juice (juice of 1 lemon)

Remoulade Sauce:

• ½ Cup Mayonnaise
• 1 ½ TBS Creole Mustard
• 2 Cloves Garlic – minced
• ¼ tsp Lemon Juice
• ½ tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 8 dashes Tabasco *more or less depending on taste
• 1 TBS fresh Flat Leaf Parsley Leaves – finely chopped
• 1/8 tsp Kosher Salt
• Pinch Black Pepper

Optional Garnishes & for Serving: Lemon Wedges, Fresh Parsley, Cocktail Sauce

Instructions

1. Prepare Shrimp: Remove shells from shrimp, leaving tails intact and devein. Set shells aside (do not discard!)
2. Place shrimp in a large mixing bowl and add 1 teaspoon of the salt along with all of the baking soda. Toss to evenly coat. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes- 1 hour.

3. Fill a large bowl with ice water and set out two large zip-closure bags. Set aside.

4. Meanwhile, Make the Beer Poaching Liquid: In a medium pot combine – water, beer, celery, onion, garlic, ginger, parsley, lemon juice, remaining 2 tablespoons of salt and reserved shrimp shells. Bring contents to a simmer over high heat. Immediately reduce heat to simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes. Strain and discard solids. Immediately return broth back to pot and adjust heat to medium.
5. Add the shrimp (do NOT rinse them prior), and poach until shrimp are just cooked through, stirring occasionally. Depending on size of shrimp, this will take 1-4 minutes.
6. Use a slotted spoon to transfer shrimp to Ziploc bags, dividing them in between the two as to not overcrowd bags. Immediately seal bags, removing as much air as possible, and submerge bags in the ice water. Transfer bowl to the refrigerator and allow to chill for at least 30 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, Prepare the Remoulade: Place all ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Set aside in refrigerator to allow flavors to marry until ready to use.
8. Serve shrimp cocktail with remoulade sauce and lemon wedges.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

*My shrimp were 16/20’s
*I used Shock Top, but use your favorite beer or substitute dry white wine of choice
*Remoulade will keep in the refrigerator for 5 days
*Shrimp Poaching Method Adapted from SeriousEats

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