Does anyone have a favorite recipe for a dip for cold shrimp that is NOT cocktail sauce?
I was thinking of aoli or curry or some kind of tarragon mustard.
Or do you have a killer recipe for cocktail sauce?
Following. And now hungry for shrimp.
I make an aioli that might be good with shrimp:
Garlic Aioli:
3 cloves garlic, grated
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sorry, do not mess with changing sauces. Catsup plus horseradish is my favorite- that is cocktail sauce. I would be looking for it if you tried to go with something else. There is a reason it is paired with shrimp. The “bite”- a lot or little- goes with the blandness of the shrimp. By “curry” I believe you mean Indian spices. I cook a lot of Indian food (H from there) and hot temperature foods are the general rule.
I love remoulade with shrimp. Here’s a fairly easy recipe that folks always like.
http://emerils.com/123209/remoulade-sauce
Cocktail sauce is easy to make: ketchup, horseradish, fresh lemon juice, a few shakes of Tabasco - combine to your liking.
An easy curry dip: mayo, sour cream (equal parts), mango chutney (chop up any big pieces), curry powder, if you want a little more heat add a pinch of cayenne or a shake of hot sauce, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for brightness.
I’m serving a quantity of shrimp at a reception, and I want to offer a few alternatives. This afternoon I peeled and cooked 8 lbs of shrimp. Oy! I need to keep it on the simpler side–hence the cold cooked shrimp.
I do plan to offer the standard cocktail sauce–but I want some interesting variety.
I also have an ancient but delicious Gourmet curried dip recipe that is half mayo, half sour cream with some herbs and lemon juice, and I use my home made Madras curry powder which is quite hot. I know that it isn’t authentic Indian food, but that’s not the point with this. 
Remoulade is a possibility…
I love aoli–real aoli–but I generally think it is better with warm foods.
What do you think of chimichuri, or something along those lines that is green?
Is there a Trader Joe’s nearby? They have a ton of interesting dipping sauces
Any of the dips I mentioned would of course be extra good with homemade mayo.
My concern with chimichurri is the drip factor. It’s oily and much looser than a cocktail sauce, remoulade or a curry dip. I’d worry about folks possibly ruining their clothing. I’m really good at doing things like that.
How about a green goddess dipping sauce if you want something herbaceous?
Lol, advising you on recipes seems like carrying the mountail to Mohammed. I agree with the idea of something creamy and with light garlic or a light touch of curry. Or an Asian dipping sauce (soy, rice vinegar, some Chinese chili sauce and sesame oil, and maybe thickened a teeny bit, to cling better., if the chili sauce doen’t do that.)
Hummus seems a bit thick, but you could play with thinning it with something like artichoke and lemon.
At our local Asian restaurant, they serve shrimp with a fresh coriander and mint sauce–very green and delicious.
Sriracha mayo is great on chilled shrimp.
@doschicos, yeah, I’m worried about the drip factor too. And I agree about the home made mayo. @fauve, what kind of Asian?
Does a creamy mayo/sour cream with mustard/tarragon/shallot appeal to anyone? If not, I doubt if it will appeal to our guests, either!
I went through this same exercise last Christmas and settled on adding an Asian cocktail sauce that I found online. It was simple to prepare: mayo, apricot preserve, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, minced garlic and fresh ginger. It was a hit and judging from the post party remnants it was preferred over the traditional sauce.
@HarvestMoon1 Is this it? People seem to rave about it. 
http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/asian-shrimp-cocktail-sauce-212031?ftab=reviews
Yes that looks to be the same recipe. I adjusted the ingredient quantities somewhat - more apricot preserve less mayo. Also gave it a little spice with cayenne pepper.
I would buy a few bottles of a ginger mango chutney and thin it.
It is delicious with Shrimp but still not a curry.
If everything else is mild to medium I would do hot and label it as such.
Well, I made the “Asian” dip referenced above. Did not go over well, unfortunately. I think I can see it more as something to put on fish when grilling or broiling. Oh well.
Every crowd is different.
Oh, my, now I have to buy shrimp tomorrow!
EZpeel shrimp were on sale for $9 for a 2-lb package last week at Shaws!
Wow, I wish I had known that! I’ll probably pay a premium at Hannaford’s tomorrow.
I vote for any type of Thai peanut sauce