Who doesn't love a delicious Dutch shrimp cocktail? Crispy iceberg lettuce at the bottom of your glass. Above that the shrimp and a delicious homemade pink whiskey cocktail sauce. Which tastes so much better than the ones you buy in the supermarket. And is SO easy to prepare!
Today a classic from my childhood: the Dutch shrimp cocktail! When we used to have dinner, the starter was almost always this shrimp cocktail (occasionally alternated with a salmon cocktail). And this still is one of my favorite starters.
Homemade whiskey cocktail sauce
But I've got one important thing. I want a homemade sauce. Because nothing can compete with this homemade whiskey cocktail sauce. And it's very easy to make. It's ready in less than 10 minutes and all ingredients are well available. And after serving you still got some sauce left to serve with dinner.
What do you need for a Dutch Shrimp Cocktail?
The ingredients you need to prepare your seafood cocktail with homemade whiskey sauce:
What Shrimp do you use for this cocktail?
I used cocktail shrimp (small shrimp), the traditional shrimp that are used in this cocktail. But you can use bigger shrimp/prawns. Make sure you remove the shell (head and tail) and take out the intestinal tract.
Which liqueur is great to add to your homemade whiskey sauce?
My aunt always used cognac in this sauce. My father thought that was a shame and always used whiskey in it. Both variants taste great though. But if you find the flavor too sharp you can also replace it with sherry. And if you prefer not to use alcohol, just leave it out.
🔪 How to prepare a Dutch shrimp cocktail
A recipe that's easy to print can be found at the bottom of this blog.
This traditional Dutch recipe is very easy to prepare. Slice your lemons, prepare the homemade whiskey sauce (in just 5 minutes), and put everything in a glass or bowl. Garnish with a slice of lemon and enjoy!
- TIP 1: serve this shrimp cocktail in a tomato. Slice the top of a tomato. Hollow it with a spoon. Fill with shrimp and spoon some cocktail sauce on top.
- TIP 2: It's really delicious to add tangerine, orange, or grapefruit slices to this cocktail.
- TIP 3: You can serve this shrimp cocktail with some toasted bread with butter.
Yes, you can use frozen shrimp, but make sure they're fully defrosted and padded dry before using (otherwise your Dutch shrimp cocktail will become watery).
When the shrimp are raw, cook them for 3 to 5 minutes in boiling water (they will turn into a beautiful pink color). Let them cool down quickly on some ice. Pat them dry.
Did you make this recipe? Tag #byandreajanssen via Instagram. I enjoy seeing what your creation looks like. Video recipes can be found on my YouTube channel. And don't forget to save the recipes on Pinterest so you can easily find them next time!
📖 Recipe
VIDEO
RECIPE CARD
Ingredients
Whiskey cocktail sauce
- ½ cup cream
- ½ cup mayonaise
- ⅛ teaspoon paprika powder
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons whiskey, brandy or cognac
Dutch shrimp cocktail
- 4 oz iceberg lettuce
- 1 pound cocktail shrimp
- 1 lemon
Instructions
Preparation
- Slice the lemon.
- Cut the iceberg lettuce into small strips.
Whiskey cocktail sauce
- Whisk the cream until it's got the thickness of yogurt.
- Add mayonnaise, paprika powder, ketchup, and whiskey (or cognac) to the cream.
- Mix with a spatula until everything is blended.
Dutch shrimp cocktail
- Put some iceberg lettuce into the glass.
- Divide the shrimp over the glasses.
- Spoon some whiskey cocktail sauce on top of the shrimp.
- Garnish with a pinch of paprika powder and a slice of lemon.
Notes
- In this whiskey sauce, we use whiskey, brandy, or cognac. If you want a softer flavor you can substitute it with sherry. If you don't want to use alcohol, leave it out.
- You can substitute the cream with sour cream.
- In this Dutch shrimp cocktail, I use (small) cocktail shrimp. But you can use larger shrimp/prawns. Make sure to remove the shell (head and tail) and the gut.
- You can replace the iceberg lettuce with any kind of lettuce you prefer.
- TIP 1: serve this shrimp cocktail in a tomato. Slice the top of a tomato. Hollow it with a spoon. Fill with shrimp and spoon some cocktail sauce on top.
- TIP 2: It's really delicious to add tangerine, orange, or grapefruit slices to this cocktail.
- TIP 3: You can serve this shrimp cocktail with some toasted bread with butter.
Nutrition
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Allan says
Maybe just a pinch of fine chopped parsley in the sauce for décor.
Andréa says
That's always a good idea to add as garnish.