Is Shrimp Cocktail Served Cooked Or Raw?

It's not a cocktail party without a tray of juicy, plump shrimp cocktail. The dish is often served over ice and accompanied by a bowl of cocktail sauce (which can be made with three very simple ingredients) and a wedge of lemon. It is as simple as it is delicious. However, despite its simplicity, or perhaps because of it, many diners are stumped on one particular aspect of shrimp cocktail: Is it served cooked or raw? The answer is that shrimp cocktail is, invariably, served cooked. 

Shrimp cocktail, like most other shrimp-based dishes, should always be served cooked. This is because raw shrimp can cause various food-borne illnesses. Shrimp is prone to bacterial, parasitic, and viral infections, which can be hazardous to diners. To eliminate these pathogens, you should fully cook your shrimp before serving. Some dishes call for raw shrimp, such as several versions of shrimp sashimi. However, this carries a risk of illness. Other dishes, such as shrimp ceviche, aren't cooked with heat but with citrus juice. Instead of heat killing these pathogens, the lemon or lime juice (over an extended period) cooks the meat of the shrimp. 

Now, you wouldn't be completely amiss in assuming that shrimp cocktail is served raw. It is, after all, a pretty bare bones dish. Because it is served cold, has a pinkish color (a sign that the crustacean is cooked), and is often served with its tail attached, the dish does resemble a raw food. However, shrimp cocktail is cooked before serving. To prepare your cocktail, you can either buy pre-cooked shrimp to serve or cook your shrimp at home. Though of course, there are certain mistakes you should avoid when cooking shrimp.

There are several methods you can use to prepare your shrimp. Ina Garten takes the extra step of roasting for a more flavorful shrimp, which certainly adds an extra kick of flavor. However, boiling is one of the easiest cooking methods. Simply fill your pot and bring it to a boil; add any seasonings you'd like, and add your shrimp. You can cook your shrimp with or without the shell, though cooking with the shell does add some flavor. Depending on their size, you only need to boil your shrimp for about 3-4 minutes, so monitor your shrimp throughout the process. For a more precise cooking method, you can always steam your shrimp; this will help prevent tough and chewy meat. You should steam for around five minutes for 1 pound, then place cooked shrimp in an ice bath to cool for their cocktail hour.