Shrimp Cocktail

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 lblarge shrimp, shell on, deveined
• 1lemon, half sliced for the poaching water, half for juice
• 1bay leaf
• 1 tspblack peppercorns
• 1 tbspsea salt, for the poaching water
• 4 1/4 ozketchup
• 2 tbspprepared horseradish, drained
• 1 tspworcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsphot sauce
• 1/4 tspcelery salt

Method

1. 1

   Bring a large pan of water to a boil with the sliced lemon, the bay leaf, the black peppercorns and the salt for the water. Let it boil for five minutes so the water actually tastes of something, then turn it down until the surface is barely moving.

2. 2

   Slide the shrimp in and cook at a bare tremble for two to three minutes, until they have turned pink and curled into a loose C. A tight O means they have gone too far.

3. 3

   Lift them straight into a bowl of ice water and leave them until completely cold. This stops the cooking dead and firms the texture.

4. 4

   Stir the ketchup, the prepared horseradish, the worcestershire sauce, the hot sauce, the celery salt and a squeeze of lemon juice together. Taste it and add more horseradish until it makes your nose sting a little.

5. 5

   Peel the shrimp, leaving the tail on to hold. Hang them over the rim of chilled glasses or pile them on a plate of crushed ice with the sauce alongside.