Punch Up The Flavor Of Shrimp Cocktail With Jacques Pépin's Genius Trick

There are two reasons we go to parties — and it's not for the socializing. It's for the deviled eggs and the shrimp cocktail. Deviled eggs are relatively easy to mess up, but shrimp cocktail is usually a safe bet regardless of the occasion or venue. The flavor of this appetizer is predictable, offering the perfect medley of salty and sweet flavors; and when paired with a high-quality cocktail sauce (or even better, a homemade variety), it's positively delicious. But, by following one tip from celebrity chef Jacques Pépin, you could be well on your way to an even more remarkable shrimp cocktail, and even repurpose leftover shells in the process. 

In a video shared on Instagram by the Jacques Pépin Foundation, Pépin walks viewers through how to upgrade their crustaceans by poaching them in shrimp stock rather than in plain water. He starts with raw shrimp and removes the tails and legs. To a stockpot, he tosses in the tails and adds water, a splash of vinegar, red chili flakes, chopped onions, fresh herbs, and other seasonings. Once the stock has boiled for about five minutes, he strains out the shells and boils the plump shrimp in the remaining liquid, before setting it aside to cool. He even serves the flavorful liquid alongside his homemade cocktail sauce — presumably for dipping the shrimp into.

The nice thing about Jacques Pépin's technique is that it is easily scalable, and you can always stockpile and freeze any extra shrimp tails you have to make a flavorful broth. You could also utilize a seafood stock instead of one made only with shrimp shells — just be sure to leave out the mollusk shells. Leftover lobster tails, fish bones, and crab shells will all give your shrimp more flavor. No matter what you add into the stock, always strain it well to remove any stray fragments. 

Want another tip to try? Roast your seafood scraps before adding them into your stockpot. Popping the shells on a sheet pan with a bit of oil will really enhance those savory notes and make them really pop when they're added to the broth. The tails and shells should darken in color and release a nutty aroma. Dump not only the shells, but also any juice, into your poaching pot along with water and Jacques Pépin-approved seasonings, and get ready to have the most flavorful shrimp cocktail ever.