The best seafood cocktail sauce in the world

Some like it hot !

That shot got your attention, didn't it?

The movie, ‘Some like it hot!’ is arguably the best comedy every made.

Tony Curtis (Josephine) and Jack Lemon (Daphne) play the part of two out of work Roaring Twenties era musicians who witness a mob hit. To escape the mob, they enlist in an all female band traveling to Florida. There, their female impersonations take on hilarious roles as they start flipping in and out of disguise. Tony Curtis is credited with saying “ kissing Marilyn Monroe was like kissing Hitler” but the quote was likely never said as Tony and Marilyn actually had a torrid affair prior to the movie. MM proved herself am amazingly good comedienne in this movie portraying the ukulele player, Sugar Kane. 

Though the plot is hard to swallow, Billy Wilder’s movie is a banquet of laughs easily digested and always served in good taste.

But speaking of good taste, here is  the recipe for making THE BEST SEAFOOD COCKTAIL SAUCE in the world. You can make it in minutes, keep it for weeks and control its special taste.

INGREDIENTS
(makes about ¾ cup)
½ cup Heinz Ketchup
1 very finely chopped garlic bud
¼ tsp garlic powder
juice of ½ fresh lemon
1 tsp lemon zest
2 tbls strained horseradish (hot)
¼ tsp Tabasco (if you like less heat,
use just a drop or two only)
¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce
sprinkle of salt
(Please note that some of displayed ingredients are not to be included in the mixing of the sauce, but are to be ingested directly by the cook. I am certain you can pick out these ingredients from the above photo.)

FIRE EXTINGUISHER !

PREPARATION
Combine the lemon, garlic, ketchup, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce and salt and mix thoroughly. Strain the vinegar from the 2 tbls of the horseradish and add it to the sauce combination. Stir the mixture and add in the garlic powder. Taste for spiciness. The sauce’s taste will intensify after a day in the refrigerator.

TASTING and MODIFICATION
Tasting this sauce is best done with a piece of shrimp but you can do it with just a teaspoon. I usually use about a dozen or so shrimps, just so I am sure I get the sauce right.

Too hot? Add more ketchup
This sauce can never be too hot for me but then I like Tabasco by the teaspoonfuls.
Too sweet? Add more Tabasco and horseradish
Too liquidy? Add more horseradish, strained

I have also displayed my favourite FIRE EXTINGUISHER for extra hot sauces at the right.

I recommend frequent tasting with shrimp until you get the taste right where you want it.

I guarantee that once you have made this sauce, and got the right balance of the ingredients, you will never ever buy prepared cocktail sauce from your grocery store again. This sauce will store well in the refrigerator for days, if not weeks. Have you noticed how ketchup is always on the counters, for weeks on end, at your local breakfast diner? Amazingly, ketchup does not spoil and the basis for my sauce is ketchup.

Buon appetito and visit back!