Cocktail Sauce

It breaks my heart that some top-quality restaurants no longer serve shellfish meat like shrimp and crab accompanied by this traditional American dipping sauce. Now it comes with something that looks like it was generated by an app designed to impress foodies.

In V1 it was ketchup and horseradish, and it was great. V2 came along when someone spiffed it up with some lemon juice – and later lemon zest – and all was well with the world.

Then later some genius who has not yet been adequately recognized created V3 by either substituting chili sauce for the ketchup or going 50/50.

Later someone said to slap in some Worchestershire sauce. Perfection was achieved. V4.

Yeah, I get it. Shellfish flesh has a fairly delicate flavor. And there is nothing subtle about this sauce. Some, therefore, conclude this sauce overpowers the shellfish flesh.

I call shenanigans. Dip some in the sauce, dip some other forkful in the drawn butter. Repeat. Everything comes together in a rising “Kumbayah!” crescendo. Stop over-thinking things. This is good. Crab is good. You’re harshing my mellow.

And for those of you who know me, yes, this screed is largely directed at my wife.

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Cocktail Sauce Yum

Great for dipping your shrimp or Dungeness crab! Extra good after a few hours or overnight in the fridge.

Intended to be horseradish forward, but the heat of prepared horseradish can vary WIDELY from jar to jar - even the same brand. Sometimes a tablespoon is enough to blow your head off, sometimes you need half a jar to get it right. So add it to taste. You want a good zing but maybe stay short of eye-watering.

Servings

Cup

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Ketchup
• 1/2 cup chili sauce — Heinz is best
• 1 lemon Juice and zest — do not skip the zest! If you don't have a zester (a.k.a. micro-planer) they are like seven bucks on Amazon.
• to taste prepared horseradish — This is the refrigerated stuff, not the sauce from the condiment aisle.
• 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/4 tsp Granulated garlic
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander
• to taste optional hot sauce — I never do this, but some folks find it traditional. Though I am tempted to one time try substituting Sriracha Ketchup for regular.

Servings Cup Ingredients 1/2 cup Ketchup 1/2 cup chili sauce — Heinz is best 1 lemon Juice and zest — do not skip the zest! If you don't have a zester (a.k.a. micro-planer) they are like seven bucks on Amazon. to taste prepared horseradish — This is the refrigerated stuff, not the sauce from the condiment aisle. 1 dash Worcestershire sauce 1 pinch salt 1/4 tsp Granulated garlic 1/4 tsp ground coriander to taste optional hot sauce — I never do this, but some folks find it traditional. Though I am tempted to one time try substituting Sriracha Ketchup for regular.

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