The 99¢ Las Vegas Shrimp Cocktail

An old Las Vegas tradition!
   
     I missed my home in Las Vegas, when I worked in Chicago.  When I was home sick, I cooked Las Vegas style food.  There are fantastic food values in Las Vegas.  One great value is the 99¢ Las Vegas Shrimp Cocktail!  A shrimp cocktail costs about a dollar to make, so the Las Vegas shrimp cocktail is considered to be a casino promotional menu item.
     The Golden Gate Casino is located at Main Street and Fremont Street.  The Golden Gate was originally a luxury hotel that was built in 1906 and later it became the first casino in Las Vegas.  The Golden Gate Casino introduced the very first Las Vegas shrimp cocktail in 1959.  Since 1959, over 40 million shrimp coctails have been sold at the Golden Gate Casino so far!
  
     Cocktail Shrimp:
     Boil 1 28 ounces of water in a small sauce pot over high heat.
     Add 1 bay leaf.
     Add 2 whole dried allspice berries.
     Add 1/2 of a lemon.
     Add 6 whole black peppercorns.
     Add 1 pinch of cayenne pepper.
     Add 1/2 teaspoon of mustard seed.
     Add sea salt.
     Boil the liquid for 3 minutes, so the spices flavor the water.
     Add 7 to 10 whole large shrimp.
     Poach the shrimp, till they become fully cooked.
     Cool the shrimp under cold running water.
     Peel and devein the shrimp.
     Remove the tails.
     Set the cocktail shrimp aside.
  
     Classic Cocktail Sauce Recipe:
     Cocktail Sauce was an Antoine's of New Orleans creation! 
     Place 4 ounces of organic ketchup in a mixing bowl.
     Add 1 ounce of chili sauce.  (American chile sauce is a tomato condiment that is like ketchup in color and texture.  Chili sauce is not a hot pepper sauce!  If none can be found, then add 1 more ounce of ketchup.)
     Add 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of horseradish.  (The amount of horseradish depends on the strength of the horseradish!)
     Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice.
     Add 1 clove of finely minced garlic.
     Add 1/2 teaspoon of worcestershire sauce.
     Add 1 teaspoon of Louisiana style cayenne pepper hot sauce.
     Stir the ingredients together to make the classic cocktail sauce.
  
     The 99¢ Las Vegas Shrimp Cocktail:
     Place 1/4 cup of small chopped celery on the bottom of a large martini glass, a sundae glass, a parfait glass or a brandy snifter.
     Alternate layers of the cocktail shrimp and spoonfuls of the cocktail sauce in the glass, till the glass is filled to the top.
     Garnish with a lemon wedge and an Italian parsley sprig.
  
     The Las Vegas shrimp cocktail is by far the best selling shrimp cocktail of all time!  In fact, the shrimp cocktail is also the most popular shrimp recipe of all time.
     The original classic cocktail sauce is easy to make and it is so much better than the taboo pre-made bottled cocktail sauces that are sold at markets.  Any size shrimp can be used to make a Las Vegas Shrimp Cocktail.  Popcorn shrimp have been used in recent years, but large shrimp are considered to be the classic choice.
     I miss Las Vegas, and it is the only place where I am happy.  This Las Vegas Shrimp Cocktail cured my home sickness!  Viva Las Vegas!  ...  Shawna