Recipe: Rao's Grilled Shrimp Cocktail with Homemade Cocktail Sauce

GRILLED SHRIMP COCKTAIL

"For those of us who appreciate the good old-fashioned shrimp cocktail, redolent with horseradish, here is a grilled version that is guaranteed to please. Fresh horseradish really knocks this out of the ballpark. Use the biggest shrimp you can find: The big ones that weigh about 1 ounce each are my choice."

FOR THE COCKTAIL SAUCE:
1 cup tomato ketchup
2 tablespoons peeled and grated fresh horseradish (use the small holes on a box grater)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE SHRIMP:
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
18 extra-jumbo (U-16) shrimp, peeled and deveined with the tail segment attached
Lemon wedges (for garnish)

TO MAKE THE COCKTAIL SAUCE:
Whisk together the ketchup, horseradish, and garlic in a medium bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours to marry the flavors.

WHEN READY TO COOK:
Prepare an outdoor grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat (450 degrees F).

Whisk together the wine, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a large glass or stainless steel bowl. Add the shrimp and marinate for 10 minutes, no longer.

Brush the cooking grate clean. Remove the shrimp from the marinade, discarding the marinade. Put the shrimp on the grill. Grill, with the lid closed as much as possible, until the shrimp begin to turn opaque around the edges, about 3 minutes. Flip the shrimp and cook until opaque throughout, about 3 minutes more. Remove the shrimp from the grill.

TO SERVE:
Spoon the cocktail sauce into six ramekins. For each serving, place 3 shrimp on a plate and serve warm with the sauce and lemon wedges.

Makes 6 servings
Source: Rao's On the Grill by Frank Pellegrino