Cocktail sauce perfectly complements your fresh seafood bringing out its natural flavors.
Crosse and Blackwell Cocktail Sauce is an all-time favorite seafood sauce. But do you know it can be made at home? Today I am here to recreate your must-have seafood sauce with some basic ingredients. Tag along to know it all.
Crosse and Blackwell, a British food brand, was established in London. They have been serving us spicy condiments, sauces, and pickles since 1706. Crosse and Blackwell cocktail sauce is the most popular one among their products. My Crosse and Blackwell cocktail sauce recipe is so simple that it’ll win your heart.
What Is Cocktail Sauce?
If you’re here for the Crosse and Blackwell cocktail sauce recipe, then you already know what cocktail sauce is. Still, let’s have a quick look. Cocktail sauce is basically a cold sauce with a combination of ketchup, horseradish, and lemon juice. Different varieties can include different sweeteners, spices, and artificial flavorings.
Cocktail sauce is typically served as a part of seafood cocktails or as a condiment for other kinds of seafood. Apart from seafood, cocktail sauce is also a perfect dip for fried snacks like fish sticks. Some people even use it as a zesty condiment for wraps and sandwiches. This spicy sauce is known for its intense red color, tangy flavor, and plain texture.
Crosse And Blackwell Cocktail Sauce Ingredients
Strong flavors and fresh ingredients are the base for our Crosse and Blackwell cocktail sauce recipe. It perfectly balances the kick of ground horseradish with the natural sweetness of tomato. This gives you a sauce that is just brimming with flavors. Let’s look at the ingredients used:
Ingredients:
Tomato Ketchup:
Tomato ketchup is the core ingredient in our red cocktail sauce recipe. All other ingredients are just mixed with it. You can use store-bought ketchup or homemade tomato paste. Tomato ketchup makes our sauce all rich and sweet. ½ cup of ketchup is used here.
Horseradish:
Horseradish is a root vegetable used as a spice and as a condiment. The unique pungent taste of fresh horseradish is prominent in our cocktail sauce. ½ cup of finely grated horseradish is used in the recipe.
Vinegar:
Vinegar is commonly used in sauces, mops, salad dressings, and as a pickling liquid. Its mild acidic nature prepares horseradish for our sauce. Moreover, vinegar balances the taste of all the other ingredients used in the sauce.1 tablespoon of white vinegar is used to soak horseradish in our recipe.
Lemon Juice:
A small squeeze of fresh lemon can brighten the sauce without overwhelming other ingredients. At the same time, it gives the sauce a light and fresh flavor.1 tablespoon of lemon juice is used in the recipe to sharpen flavors.
Paprika:
Paprika is dried and ground red pepper is used to add spiciness to any dish. Also, it adds a mild, sweet, and smoky flavor to the sauce. A pinch of paprika gives vibrance and enhances the color of our red cocktail sauce.
Salt:
Do you know salt balances out tanginess even better than sugar does? Moreover, salt increases the shelf stability of the sauce. 1 teaspoon of salt will be enough for our best seafood sauce.
Worcestershire Sauce:
Worcestershire sauce is a condiment made from vinegar, anchovies, tamarind, and other seasonings. ½ teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce makes our cocktail sauce for shrimp all savory and sweet.
Garlic:
Garlic has a unique smell and pungent flavor that can improve the overall flavor of any sauce. 2 garlic cloves are added to today’s red cocktail sauce.
Black Pepper:
Black pepper is a must-have herb in your kitchen. It gives heat and spiciness and has a distinctive aroma. ½ teaspoon freshly crushed black pepper adds depth to our sauce.
How To Make Red Cocktail Sauce?
Made from fresh horseradish, our Crosse and Blackwell cocktail sauce has a rich, delightful yet tangy taste that is simply delicious. This sauce has a unique flavor profile that should be enough to convince anyone. This sauce will definitely elevate any seafood cocktail you pick. Our red cocktail sauce recipe is extremely simple and made in just 3 steps. So let’s dive in:
Step 1:
Peel and finely grate horseradish. Take it in a bowl and damp it with vinegar for 5 minutes.
Step 2:
5 minutes later, add tomato ketchup, lemon juice, sugar, salt, Worcestershire sauce, minced onion and paprika to the prepared horseradish. Whisk very well until the sauce comes to a smooth and creamy texture.
Step 3:
Keep the sauce in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Your Crosse and Blackwell cocktail sauce is ready to pair up with your shrimp. Enjoy!
This rich and zesty sauce complements any fresh seafood. You may even use them as marinades. It is rich and tastes so fresh like it has just been made. You’ll taste really sweet, sour, and heat at the same time. This will just make your tongue happy.
Substitute For Cocktail Sauce
If you’ve come this far with me, you already know that our Crosse and Blackwell cocktail sauce recipe can be your ultimate seafood companion. But what if you don’t have time to prepare the sauce recipe? Or you don’t have all the ingredients available? In such cases, you’ll definitely think about substitutes for cocktail sauce. Some substitutes may include:
- Just mix Heinz chili sauce with horseradish. Dip your shrimp and enjoy!
- If you have no time on your hands, just squeeze some fresh lemon on your shrimp cocktail. Trust me it also tastes good.
- Some store-bought options are Trader Joe’s Seafood Cocktail Sauce, Legal Seafood House Cocktail Sauce, Heinz Original Seafood Cocktail Sauce, etc.
- You can alter the proportions of the ingredients to your liking. Don’t shy away from adding more sugar or paprika if you desire.
- Another handy tip related to cocktail sauce is to use it as a marinade for meats and seafood to make them more flavorful.
Crosse And Blackwell Cocktail Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Tomato ketchup
- 1/2 Cup Grated horseradish
- 1 Tablespoon Vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon juice
- 1/2 Teaspoon Paprika
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- 1/2 Teaspoon Black pepper
Instructions
- Peel and finely grate horseradish
- Take it in a bowl and damp it with vinegar
- After 5 minutes rest period, add all the other ingredients in the bowl
- Whisk very well to combine all ingredients
- Keep the sauce in the refrigerator and chill for 1 hour
- Serve it with any of your favorite seafood dishes
Notes
- Optional ingredients to add to the taste can be Tabasco sauce, tarragon, onion, or celery.
- Use fresh horseradish instead of store-bought prepared ones. Store-bought ones may include some ingredients that may overpower the taste of your sauce.
- Always serve your Blackwell cocktail sauce chilled. The sauce tends to get lumpy and lose its fine consistency if it’s left at room temperature for more than half an hour.
- Don’t forget step 3. Keeping the sauce in the fridge for at least an hour before serving it will ensure that you get the best texture and flavor out of your cocktail sauce.
- Always store cocktail sauce in a cool and dark refrigerator chamber for a longer shelf life
- Do not use wet or dirty utensils when serving the sauce to prevent the spread of bacteria that may spoil the sauce.
Nutrition
Wrapping Up
Crosse and Blackwell is the one cocktail sauce for you if you’re looking for a more rounded and accessible dining experience. The flavor is the main draw here. As it doesn’t overpower your dish. Instead this seafood cocktail sauce brings the right level of balance.
Crosse and Blackwell is a wonderful and tangy seafood sauce but versatile enough for fries or onion. Nothing can take its place. So whether you’re in the mood for prawns, clams or tuna don’t forget to make this cocktail sauce. Enjoy!
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