Classic Shrimp Cocktail Platter (New Year’s Appetizer)
A classic New Year’s appetizer featuring perfectly chilled cooked shrimp served with tangy cocktail sauce and fresh lemon wedges, presented elegantly on a bed of ice and optional lettuce for a refreshing and crowd-pleasing starter.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6-8 as an appetizer 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Low Fat
Ingredients
Scale
Shrimp
- 1 kg (2 lb) cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
Accompaniments
- Cocktail sauce, as needed for serving
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
- Ice, enough to cover the platter
- Lettuce leaves, optional for presentation
Instructions
- Chill the shrimp: Thoroughly refrigerate the cooked shrimp until cold. This step ensures the shrimp stay fresh and maintain their firm texture, enhancing the eating experience.
- Prepare the platter: Arrange a generous layer of ice on a large serving platter. The ice will keep the shrimp cold throughout the event.
- Arrange shrimp and garnishes: Neatly place the chilled shrimp on top of the ice layer. If desired, line the platter with fresh lettuce leaves underneath the shrimp for an attractive presentation.
- Add sauce and lemon: Place a bowl of cocktail sauce in the center of the platter or scatter small bowls around the shrimp. Arrange lemon wedges nearby for guests to squeeze over the shrimp.
- Serve: Serve the platter immediately to keep freshness or cover and refrigerate it until the guests arrive.
Notes
- Using pre-cooked shrimp saves time and ensures ease of preparation.
- Keep the shrimp cold until serving to maintain optimum freshness and food safety.
- Customize cocktail sauce to taste by adding horseradish, hot sauce, or lemon juice.
- For a gluten-free option, check that cocktail sauce ingredients are gluten-free.
- The platter is best served chilled and consumed within a few hours for best quality.