Roasted Shrimp Cocktail

Looking for an easy, make-ahead appetizer?! You can always count on Ina Garten to come through. This is essentially the home-made version of that shrimp appetizer you buy at the grocery store, where the shrimp comes in a ring surrounding a red dipping sauce. Except when you make it yourself it takes a total of 10 additional minutes and tastes fabulous.

Roasting the shrimp in the oven actually intensifies and sweetens its flavour. As a bonus it is also an easy, hands-free method of cooking. Simply place it on a sheet pan in the oven with a little olive oil and spices, and let the oven do all the work.

Ina’s original recipe calls for simply salt and pepper on the shrimp. I am always partial to Old Bay Seasoning, and usually use that instead. Feel free to add your own spin- any type of cajun, garlic, even garam marsala would be delicious.

For the cocktail sauce, feel free to adjust the horseradish and tabasco according to how spicy you like it.

You can also cook the shrimp and prepare the sauce up to 1 day in advance, making this the perfect appetizer for your holiday party!

Roasted Shrimp Cocktail

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa

Shrimp:

2 pounds (12 to 15 count) shrimp
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp Old Bay seasoning

Cocktail Sauce:

1/2 cup Heinz chili sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
3 Tbsp horseradish
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Peel and devein the shrimp. Toss the shrimp in the olive oil, place them on the sheet pan and sprinkle with Old Bay seasoning. Roast for 8-10 minutes until just pink, firm and cooked through. Set aside to cool.

Combine the cocktail sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and adjust the horseradish and Tabasco sauce to taste.