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What is Cocktail Sauce?

Sheri Cyprus
Sheri Cyprus

Cocktail sauce is a tomato-based dipping sauce. It gets it name from its classic use as an accompaniment for seafood salads served as appetizers at cocktail parties. The tomato base usually has zesty flavorings added that compliment seafood.

A basic cocktail sauce always starts with tomato sauce, tomato puree, ketchup, chili sauce, or any combination of any types of tomato-based sauces. Most recipes call for flavorings such as red pepper sauce and/or horseradish. Minced garlic, pepper, parsley or cilantro and sometimes chopped celery are also commonly included. Red wine vinegar or cider vinegar is also often used, and almost every cocktail sauce will have lemon juice or lime juice added.

Cilantro is sometimes chopped into cocktail sauce.
Cilantro is sometimes chopped into cocktail sauce.

Cocktail sauce can "wake up" any type of seafood or seafood salad. In a classic presentation, jumbo shrimp are neatly placed around the edge of a bowl with the sauce placed in the center as a dip. Another common way of serving it is with smaller shrimp and/or pieces of crab or lobster served in a dish with the sauce on top or layered in with the seafood.

Shrimp, which are often served with cocktail sauce.
Shrimp, which are often served with cocktail sauce.

Many different versions are possible and are limited only by the imagination. For example, a Mexican type of sauce may use salsa as the base and chopped chili peppers and cumin to flavor it. A Mediterranean version could have tomato sauce, balsamic vinegar, garlic, lemon juice and black olives.

Cocktail sauce is great to serve with finger foods such as jumbo shrimp and cheese and crackers at cocktail parties. Of course, double dipping is a definite "no" when people are served shared dipping sauces. Double dipping is dipping a piece of food into the sauce, biting it, and dipping it again and should never be done when a platter of food is being shared by a group of people.

Cider vinegar is often used in cocktail sauce.
Cider vinegar is often used in cocktail sauce.

In oyster bars, platters of oysters are often served with cocktail sauce and lemon wedges. Cocktail forks are used to help hold the oysters for dipping. It's said that the sauce can make eating raw oysters more palatable. Breaded shrimp and other deep fried sea food can also be eaten with this sauce.

Discussion Comments

overreactor

I mix ketchup and horseradish for a quick and really good sauce to accompany my shrimp.

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    • Cilantro is sometimes chopped into cocktail sauce.
      By: Amber DeGrace
      Cilantro is sometimes chopped into cocktail sauce.
    • Shrimp, which are often served with cocktail sauce.
      By: nito
      Shrimp, which are often served with cocktail sauce.
    • Cider vinegar is often used in cocktail sauce.
      By: AgathaLemon
      Cider vinegar is often used in cocktail sauce.
    • Some recipes call for chili peppers.
      By: Giuseppe Porzani
      Some recipes call for chili peppers.
    • Parsley can be used to season cocktail sauce.
      By: Barbara Pheby
      Parsley can be used to season cocktail sauce.
    • Minced garlic may be used to create cocktail sauce.
      By: Bert Folsom
      Minced garlic may be used to create cocktail sauce.
    • Celery is often added to cocktail sauce recipes.
      By: andersphoto
      Celery is often added to cocktail sauce recipes.
    • A fiery cocktail sauce are made by using salsa as the base.
      By: JJAVA
      A fiery cocktail sauce are made by using salsa as the base.
    • Cocktail sauce is often used to accompany a seafood salad.
      By: Maksim Shebeko
      Cocktail sauce is often used to accompany a seafood salad.
    • Cocktail sauce, usually made with red chili and tomatoes, is a key component of the shrimp cocktail.
      By: klsbear
      Cocktail sauce, usually made with red chili and tomatoes, is a key component of the shrimp cocktail.