My first professional cooking job was in a continental restaurant built on a large, docked ship. I was hired as the garde manger cook for my culinary school externship.
During my externship I must have cooked and peeled hundreds of pounds of shrimp, opened thousands of clams and oysters and prepared gallons of tangy, cocktail sauce during that five month period.
I can still remember the aroma of the chili sauce when I opened the number 10 cans...
Cocktail Sauce
Condiments have become very popular as sauces in modern cooking. One of my favorite condiments is Cocktail sauce, as it’s known today.
Cocktail sauce emerged in the late 19th to early 20th century, with the growing popularity of chilled seafood in the United States. Early versions were influenced by European sauces served with shellfish—particularly horseradish-based accompaniments common in Britain and northern Europe.
In America, these sauces evolved into a standardized blend of ketchup, chili sauce, prepared horseradish, lemon juice, worcestershire and seasonings, creating the familiar sweet and tangy cocktail sauce we enjoy with shrimp, clams and oysters.
Cocktail sauce pairs well with seafood because it provides contrast. The acidity brightens mild, briny shellfish, the sweetness balances salinity, and the sharp heat of horseradish cuts through richness while stimulating the palate.
Cocktail Sauce
Prep Time: 30 min
Yield: 1 Qt
Ingredients
2 Cups Chili sauce
1 1/2 Cups Ketchup
3 Tbsp. Cider Vinegar (I like homemade vinegar with sliced peppers for flavor)
1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
tt t Prepared Horseradish (I like it tangy & add 3 Tbsp)
2 tsp Lemon juice
t.t. Hot sauce (I like Sriracha)
tt Kosher Salt & Black Pepper
How to Prepare Cocktail Sauce
Step 1
Assemble all of the ingredients;
Add all of the ingredients into a bowl and blend together with a whisk to incorperate.
Season to taste.
