The Culinary Works

This is a FAB recipe to have in your back pocket because all you need to do is cook the shrimp AND you can do it the night before or even the morning you plan to serve it. Anytime you can prepare the food ahead of the meal you buy yourself a little less stress. The Limoncello adds a rich fragrant citrus aroma without being over powering at all. PLUS, it's bound to impress your special someone.

Limoncello Shrimp Cocktail

• ½ pound peeled and devaned raw shrimp, if you buy frozen, be sure you thaw it before cooking
• 1/3 cup of Lemoncello
• Your favorite jar of cocktail sauce

I used to make cocktail sauce from scratch but I found it tasted just like the high end stuff from the jar! So instead of making it I just buy some good stuff from the seafood section of my store. But, you can just as easily start with a ketchup base and add horseradish, lemon juice and some hot sauce if you want it spicy.

Boil just enough water for the shrimp to float uncrowded in a sauce pan. When the water starts to boil pour in the shrimp and the limoncello. When the shrimp turns pink, slightly firm and is no longer translucent, it’s done. Take it out and put into an ice water bath to cool it off and stop the cooking. How long it cooks will depend on the size of the shrimp you buy.

Place some of the sauce in a large wide mouth (martini or margarita) cocktail glass and hang the shrimp over the side with some lemon  and or celery for garnish. It creates a beautiful presentation and it’s romatic to share with that special someone!

If you are going to hold it to serve later or tomorrow, be sure you store it in an airtight container in the fridge.