Shrimp Martini are fun little appies served up as mini-martini shots of shrimp cocktails in vodka sauce, perfect for entertaining.
Shrimp Martini
By Sue Lau | Palatable Pastime
This week along with many other Sunday Supper bloggers, I am posting a recipe for fancy appetizers suitable for hosting award show parties, such as the Oscars, Emmys, Golden Globes, etc.
Besides these type of parties, there are also other parties this type of food is good for: graduation parties, showers, special birthdays, Valentine’s Day dinners, or even DIY wedding receptions.
It can be fun to dress up (even if you don’t need to)- I have even been to murder mystery dinner parties where we all dressed up like gangsters and molls. If you use your imagination, a dress-up party can be so much fun and a great way to relax with friends.
This week, I am offering my recipe for shrimp martinis, which is sort of like a shrimp cocktail, but cocktail sauce can be so boring. I’ve had parties where just shrimp on an ice tray with the usual ketchup-horseradish bit went untouched.
But these in the cute little glasses (which you can find at many party stores) attract a lot of attention, have a tasty Italian vodka sauce- infused with booze and martini flavors. Which most people love. But even though the vodka cooks, this is probably not a good appie for children, due to the nature of the glass-theme itself. But for adults, it’s great. If you have kids about, why not let them have fried or baked breaded popcorn shrimp in a snow-cone cups? They will be all the more happy for that with some ketchup on the side.
Whatever you do for your party, have lots of fun!
Tomorrow I will be posting with the #BreadBakers blogging group. We are doing pancakes and I will be posting my recipe for Swedish Pancakes. I hope to see you then!
~Sue
Shrimp Martini
Allow for 1-2 hours marination time
Ingredients:
- 20 plastic mini martini shot glasses
- 1 pound of 15-20 or 30-40 count cooked peeled shrimp
- 1/2 cup citrus vodka
- 26 ounces Italian crushed tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup bottled olive juice (for making dirty martinis)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 2 fresh lemons, thinly sliced
- 20 small green pitted olives
- 1/2 cup chiffonade of fresh basil
- 1 small French baguette
- 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Method:
- Marinate shrimp in the citrus vodka for a couple hours, saving the vodka to use in the sauce.
- Drain the shrimp and chill.
- Stir the vodka with the tomato sauce, olive juice, garlic and onion powders and butter in a saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes or until thickened.
- Allow the sauce to cool 5 minutes, then whisk in the sour cream.
- Thinly slice the baguette into wedges and brush lightly on one side with the olive oil.
- Place under broiler until lightly toasted (you can work on the bread while the sauce cooks).
- Turn the toasts over and sprinkle with the Parm, and broil again until toasted on that side.
- Fill martini shot glasses about halfway with vodka sauce, hanging 1-2 shrimp over the side with a lemon slice behind that and a toast behind that.
- Sprinkle sauce with shredded basil and top with an olive.
- Serve at once, and if making a little bit ahead, don’t put the toasts in the glasses until ready to serve or they will get soggy from the lemon and the sauce.
From the kitchen of palatablepastime.com
Sunday Supper
Fancy Appetizers (Oscar-Nom-Noms)
Finger Foods
- Easy Caprese Puff Pastry Bites by The Weekend Gourmet
- French Onion Palmiers by Cooking With Carlee
- Ham and Mustard Spirals by Food Lust People Love
- Homemade Mozzarella Cheese Sticks by Grumpy’s Honeybunch
- Middle Eastern Deviled Eggs by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Simple Greek Pinwheels with Tzatziki Dipping Sauce by A Mind “Full” Mom
- Soppressata Puffs by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
Hors d’oeuvres
- Baba Ganoush by The Crumby Cupcake
- Caesar Salad Wonton Cups by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Cucumber Bites with Creole Shrimp and Guacamole by Life Tastes Good
- Dates with Goat Cheese, Prosciutto and Truffle Honey by Monica’s Table
- Drunken Asparagus with Feta and Prosciutto by Wholistic Woman
- Italian Chicken Meatballs by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Japanese Meatballs by NinjaBaker.com
- Pork Dumplings by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Prosciutto and Blue Cheese Pear Bites by Jersey Girl Cooks
Seafood
- Lime Shrimp Cups by Our Good Life
- Mini Crab Cakes by My Savory Spoon
- Oysters Rockefeller by Caroline’s Cooking
- Scallop Crudo with Citrus by Cricket’s Confections
- Shrimp Martini by Palatable Pastime
- Southwestern Shrimp Spring Rolls by The Freshman Cook
Sweets
- Loaded Chocolate Dipped Potato Chips by Desserts Required
- Mini S’mores Tarts by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Cheesecake Bars by Pies and Plots
- Sweet Dijon Pecan Baked Brie Bites by Soulfully Made
- Wine Gummy Bears by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Veggies
- Baked Eggplant Fries with Basil Dipping Sauce by Dizzy Busy and Hungry
- Blue Cheese Asparagus Bites by Hardly A Goddess
- Broccoli Pesto Potato Bites by Simple and Savory
- Mushroom Purses by Seduction in the Kitchen
- Roasted Carrot Soup by From the Bookshelf
You can never go wrong with a good shrimp appetizer!
What a perfect idea for an awards show party! I love the look and it is hard to go wrong with shrimp cocktail. I’ll have to try it with a vodka kick!
I love shrimp cocktail!! I love your twist on it!!
Hi Sue, this has to be one of the prettiest shrimp appetizers I have seen, love these flavors.
These definitely have the glam factor – look great!
Looks wonderful, this is a great suggestion for Valentine’s day! Thanks a lot!
What a fun little appetizer. Love it!!
Love these automatic single-servers! That vodka sauce looks yummy too for a change- I agree totally that cocktail sauce can get boring, so I like this change!
Yesterday I had to try you recipe! I did not have all the ingredients listened. so I made substitutions! And WOW! it was so delicious! My husband loved this very much and it was a great appetizer for the Valentine’s Day! Thanks Sue!