Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Shrimp Cocktail

I really had to think about whether or not our afternoon snack was blog worthy or not.

I quickly came to a resounding 'YESSSS'. Here's why:
1. The shrimp you get at the store are most likely overcooked....to death
2. When you do it at home you can season it to your mood of the day
3. Too many people have seen Joe or I making cocktail sauce and were in amazement at how easy it was.
4. When you get the cooked shrimp at the store, those shrimp were cooked then frozen then thawed for who knows how many days. (yuck!)
5. I got tips....read on

Therefore, the need to blog about the right way to do Shrimp Cocktail does exist!

Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Shrimp Cocktail

Shrimp
2 pounds uncooked shell off shrimp (I buy excellent quality frozen shrimp so I can have shrimp on hand all the time. The size can vary depending on you're preference - remember the smaller the count per pound the bigger the shrimp)
8 cups of water
1/2 cup white vinegar (this is the secret to tender shrimp)
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp red pepper oil
1 tbsp Old Bay seasoning

If using frozen shrimp, thaw. Rinse and strain the shrimp. Bring the water, vinegar, and salt mixture to a boil. Add shrimp. Now Listen - COOK ONLY FOR 2 1/2 MINUTES. Strain. NO MORE. DO YOU HEAR????? This will you ensure your shrimp are De-li-cious! Put in a bowl or tupperware and add the oil and seasoning. Toss and chill for a few hours.

Cocktail Sauce
2/3 cup of ketchup
2 tbsp horseradish sauce
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
juice from 1/2 lemon

Mix all the sauce ingredients and chill until ready to serve.