The first time I had heard about this dish was actually from the animated movie, The Incredibles, when Mr. Incredible is lavished with what I thought was a very fancy meal, but it actually turned out to be quite a cheap and easy thing to make, even from scratch. Of course, you can buy pre-made cocktail sauce and precooked shrimp for relatively inexpensive prices, but making everything freshly from scratch really elevates this dish to the opulence that it rightly deserves, even if it’s just shrimp with some sauce.
In fact, a form of this dish has existed since ancient times, but this modern American version of shrimp cocktail was created during Prohibition when drinkware was otherwise unused and was popularized in Las Vegas casinos in the late 1950s, beginning with the Golden Gate Casino, which sold as many as 2,000 shrimp cocktails daily, each for less than a dollar. And so, by serving this in a cocktail glass as well as serving it at luxurious places like casinos, the humble shrimp served with tomato-horseradish sauce became the famous shrimp cocktail we know today.
In terms of this particular recipe, however, it actually comes from the Official Stardew Valley Cookbook, from which, we’ve done a plethora of recipes that have all been very faithful to the game, and quite delicious– and this one is no exception! Learned at the end of Year 2 in the game, this recipe will most likely be the last one you learn, but its benefits to your luck and fishing skill make this dish a great meal to have when trying to catch the rarest of fish in the game.
While I can’t guarantee that you’ll gain any of these benefits in real life if you eat it, this dish is a refreshing meal that allows you to enjoy the simple flavors of the roasted shrimp paired with the tangy sweetness of the cocktail sauce. And it’s a great snack to eat, whether you’re in a million dollar jet sipping some mimosas, gambling all your money away at a casino, or just enjoying the outdoors and catching some fish.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb grape tomatoes
- 4 or so cloves of garlic
- 1 shallot
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- Some salt
- 1½ tsp honey
- 2 tbsp tomato paste (optional)
- 1/8 tsp ground clove
- 1/8 tsp ground allspice
- 2 lbs jumbo shrimp, with tails on (if desired)
- Some black pepper
- 2-3 tbsp grated horseradish
- 2 tbsp or 1 lemon’s worth of juice
- 1½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
- Some hot sauce (optional)
Step 1: Prepare Tomatoes, Garlic, & Shallots & Mix in Baking Dish w/ Oil
First, preheat the oven to 325°F, and while we wait, we’ll prepare the cocktail sauce.
So, for your tomatoes, slice these in half, for your shallot, slice this into thin slices, and for your garlic, give the cloves a light smashing.
Then, in a baking dish, combine the grape tomatoes, garlic, shallots, and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season this liberally with salt and stir to combine.
Step 2: Roast Tomato Mixture at 325°F for 60-80 Minutes, Stirring Every 15-20 Minutes
Your oven should be done preheating by now, so once your tomato mixture is ready, place it in the oven and let it roast for about 60-80 minutes or until the tomatoes become very soft, their skins are shriveled and start to brown, and they have released most of their juices. While this is roasting, make sure to stir every 15-20 minutes to keep things from burning.
Step 3: Remove From Oven & Mix in Honey, Tomato Paste, Cloves, & Allspice; Roast for Another 15 Minutes & Then Let Cool
Then, once they’re done to your liking, remove the pan from the oven and then add in the honey, tomato paste, ground cloves, and allspice, mixing all of this together.
Then, return the pan to the oven and cook this for 10-15 additional minutes.
Then, when everything is fully cooked, allow the roasted tomato mixture to sit at room temperature to cool completely.
Step 4: Toss Thawed Shrimp w/ Oil, Salt, & Pepper, Place on Baking Sheet & Bake at 425°F for 10 Minutes & Then Let Cool
While we wait for that to cool, we’ll cook the shrimp, so for your oven, increase the oven temperature to 425°F.
While we wait for this, if you haven’t already defrosted your shrimp, do this now by running them over with some room temperature water for 5-10 minutes.
Then, dry these off and then in a bowl, toss the shrimp with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season them with salt and pepper.
Once everything is mixed evenly, spread the shrimp in a single layer onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then once the oven is done preheating, roast the shrimp for about 10 minutes, or until they turn opaque and are cooked through.
Once your shrimp are fully cooked, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool while we finish up the cocktail sauce.
Step 5: Blend/Mash Tomato Mixture, Then Mix w/ Horseradish, Lemon Juice, Worcestershire Sauce, & Hot Sauce
Using a food processor, immersion blender, or a masher, blend/mash your tomato mixture until smooth. Then, transfer the mixture into a bowl and then add in the horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce.
Stir this all together until smooth and season to taste with some more lemon juice and salt, if needed.
The cocktail sauce will be thick; so if you prefer a thinner sauce, just stir in a splash or so of water to thin it out to your desired thickness.
Step 6: Chill Ingredients if desired, Serve Shrimp w/ Cocktail Sauce, & Enjoy!
Once everything is ready, you may place everything in the fridge for an hour or so and store it prepared for up to a week, if you wish to serve it chilled.
But once you’re ready, transfer the finished cocktail sauce to a small serving bowl and serve it alongside the roasted shrimp, and with that, your Shrimp Cocktail is ready to eat.