Cocktail Sauce

If you know me, you know that one of my mottos is It's ALL about the SAUCE. Sauces can make an ordinary dish EXTRAordinary. I love all types of sauces. And with very few exceptions - any sauce is better homemade. And this one is super easy. So keep reading. Ok - let's chat about good old fashioned cocktail sauce.

A staple for seafood lovers, it has a blurred beginning. Most agree that it really began more with oysters than shrimp and can now be served with all shellfish and any sort of seafood you may want to eat it with. Some people turn their nose up at it - and that's ok. Some say a miner in California was the first to come up with it. If so - from there it seems to have made it's way to Las Vegas where the Golden Gate Hotel offered up a .50 shrimp cocktail in 1959. That's what I learned from tasteatlas.com. Regardless, it spread all around our great nation and many other parts of the world in some form.

Wikipedia tells us that Franny Cradock, a British celebrity chef gets a lot of the credit for this spectacular creation but they also note that other dishes predate her 1967 recipe. So, will I ever really know who created it? No. I won't. Will I lose any sleep over that? No, I won't. Am I proud that it exists and that I can whip it up in no time flat and serve it to my tribe? Yes, I am.

Truth be told, I am not a seafood eater. I had an allergic reaction once to lobster tail and I chose not to push my luck with shellfish ever again. Most of my Framily loves all the swimmy creatures though so I made it a point to teach myself to create delectable seafood dishes and the sauces that should accompany them. I started making cocktail sauce at the Fox and Hounds Supper Club in Newport, TN and that's where my extremely tasty recipe stems from.

Fast forward several years and I am in Indianapolis for a business conference. Some friends and colleagues and I ended up at St. Elmo's Steakhouse in downtown Indy. It is a very, very nice place and if you ever have the opportunity to go there - DO IT! One of their claims to fame is their "World Famous Shrimp Cocktail." Several of our group were ordering them. I declined as I didn't want to possibly end up in the ER. A close friend in the group told me I had to try the cocktail sauce because it was very spicy and I would love it. The server graciously brought me a cute dish of the horseradish laden sauce and I was hooked! Their recipe calls for fresh horseradish soaked in vinegar and, let's face it, friends, ain't nobody always got time for that.

Photo cred:https://www.stelmos.com/menu/dinner/

My recipe is much simpler and very tasty. Now it doesn't have the same sting as the fresh horseradish but it is a crowd favorite and you can adjust the spice level to your liking. I like to throw out the basics and what I like to add to recipes and you take that and make it your own. Let your creativity flow. On to the recipe - it is super simple. Assemble your cast of characters as this will come together pretty quickly.

Ingredients:

1 cup Ketchup

2 teaspoon Lemon Juice

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1-? tablespoon(s) Horseradish (if you don't have a love affair with horseradish as I do - I suggest starting with 1 tablespoon and going from there. I use 3 for my Husband.

? Dashes hot sauce - I start with 3 healthy dashes for our super spicy cocktail sauce. If you don't love hot sauce - you can omit it. Totally up to you.

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together making sure they are all incorporated well. Chill at least 2 hours before serving. If you have any leftovers, they can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a week. Ours never lasts that long.

Notes:

* Some people like celery salt in their sauce. That makes me think of a bloody mary but hey - give it a whirl - if that's your thing.

* Cocktail sauce is not just for shrimp. You can serve it with oysters, clams, crab cakes or whatever else you choose to serve it with. Experiment!

* If you like creamy sauces and not as much heat - you might mix in 1/4 - 1/2 cup of mayo to this recipe. Now - full disclosure - I haven't tried this. Not to say I wouldn't ever. If you do - let me know how you like it!

Well, there you have it, Folks. Thanks so much for stopping by! Please drop a comment and let me know where you are reading from. If you aren't already following me on social media - please come on over to Facebook and Insta and get to know me there also. I am looking forward to it! If you make this recipe, please tag me so I can give you a shout out! @adashofsoutherngrit #adashofsoutherngrit

Take care, Y'all!

Till we Dash again!

xoxo,

Jeanie