Steamed Shrimp or Shrimp Cocktail

A beginner's recipe! If you are just starting to cook and seafood befuddles you, here is a great place to start! You can eat these hot or, you can shock them in ice water and eat them with sauce (see my shrimp sauce recipe) as tasty shrimp cocktail. It is a very basic recipe.

• Ready In: 20 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1  lb  large raw shrimp, deveined
• 1⁄2 cup white vinegar
• 1⁄2 cup water
• 1  tablespoon  Old Bay Seasoning
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1  lemon, cut in half

Directions

1. Pour all ingredients (except shrimp) into a large saucepan. Make sure to first squeeze the juice from the lemons into the mix and then throw the rinds right in there too.
2. Bring the liquid to a rolling boil over high heat. Dump in the shrimp and cover the pan with a tight lid.
3. After the shrimp have again begun to boil, allow them to go for two minutes, then, stir the shrimp briefly and replace the lid. Boil for three more minutes (shrimp should boil for five minutes, all total).
4. Drain and place the shrimp into a large bowl of ice water if you want shrimp cocktail (or just serve them hot).
5. If serving as shrimp cocktail, you can go ahead and peel the shrimp after they're cold, or, you can let your guests do it themselves at the table.
6. Note: If you overcook shrimp, you will make them rubbery.