Shrimp Platter
Say hello to this easy Shrimp Platter served over a bed of ice with crudite, cajun aioli and cocktail sauce. Fast and fabulous, serve this as a crowd-pleasing appetizer for Game Day or any party that suits your fancy!
Servings 8 -10 servings
Ingredients
- 2 lbs large shrimp 16/20, shelled and deveined
Ice
- 1 cup cocktail sauce
- Cajun aioli recipe follows
- 5 celery sticks thinly sliced
- 1 cucumber thinly sliced
- 1 lemon cut into wedges
- ¼ cup minced chives
For cajun aioli:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp old bay or cajun seasoning
Instructions
- Prepare boiling water and ice bath: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. While water is coming up to temperature, fill a large bowl with equal parts ice and water.
- Boil shrimp: Add the shrimp to the boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink and opaque in color. Remove the shrimp with a slotted spoon and submerge into the ice bath bowl to stop the cooking and quickly cool the shrimp.
- Make aioli: In a small bowl, whisk together cajun aioli ingredients and set aside.
- Crush ice: Add 4-5 cups of ice to a blender. Cover and pulse on the ‘ice’ or ‘crush’ button on the blender until the ice is a snow-like consistency. Repeat until you have enough ice for a 1-2 inch layer on your serving platter.
- Arrange platter: Drain the shrimp from the ice bath and scatter on top of the ice. Add the bowls of cocktail sauce and cajun aioli to the platter. Scatter celery sticks, cucumber slices and lemon wedges around the blank spaces of the platter. Sprinkle the platter with chopped chives and serve with two cocktail spoon servers for sauces.
Notes
Shrimp: The shrimp can be poached, cooled and stored in an airtight container topped with ice in the fridge for up to 2 hours.
Cajun Aioli: Mix and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.