Crawfish or Shrimp Cocktail

Forget the jar. This homemade cocktail sauce has teeth.

Chili sauce and ketchup form the base, but it’s the half cup of horseradish that really gets your attention. Worcestershire, lemon juice, hot sauce, and a generous handful of fresh parsley round it out into a cocktail sauce with serious kick and complexity.

Pour it over boiled crawfish or shrimp, or serve it in a bowl for dipping. Ten minutes of stirring and you’re done.

This sauce works just as well at a backyard crawfish boil as it does at a dressed-up shrimp cocktail platter.

Kitchen Tips

• Use prepared horseradish, not cream-style. You want the sharp, sinus-clearing heat.
• Adjust the hot sauce to your crowd. A few dashes for mild, a few glugs for Cajun-brave.
• Make it a few hours ahead and refrigerate so the flavors meld together.
• The parsley isn’t optional. It adds a fresh, herbal note that balances all that heat.