For his coming birthday, chef Fred Morin of Joe Beef in Montreal wants to fulfill a childhood fantasy: designing his own shrimp cocktail-themed ice cream cake at Baskin-Robbins. In his mind, the cake resembles a party ring of shrimp, complete with faux red cocktail sauce.

Morin, who is turning 47, said that as a child, “the reason you wanted to get a job was to buy more ice cream cakes, shrimp rings and Hot Wheel cars.”

Sometimes as an adult, you still just want a lot of really good things. Reserved for special occasions, shrimp cocktail is arguably on the top five list when it comes to these appetizers. And when you make it at home, you can eat as much of it as you want — maybe even a whole party plate.

If you’ve ever tried to down an entire 32-ounce platter of shrimp cocktail from Costco by yourself, you know that it can be difficult.

What is it about shrimp cocktail that makes us want to eat more of it than is humanly necessary?

Maybe it’s that it feels like a celebration even when celebrating feels uncertain. Maybe it’s that eating lots of shrimp cocktail is a dream deferred: When you order it at a restaurant, you often get a lousy portion of only four or five shrimp. Making it in your own kitchen allows you to fulfill that fantasy of eating six, 10 or even 20 in one sitting. (Where possible, questions of ethical consumption should be considered, starting with knowing where your retailer is finding its shrimp.)

When you’re eating that much shrimp — and even when you’re not — it’s essential that they be perfectly cooked. This recipe prevents the shrimp from cooking to a tough, rubbery state and maximizes flavor by gently poaching them in a deeply seasoned broth of salt, chile powder and celery seed. Rather than washing away all that seasoning by draining the shrimp and plunging them into a bath of ice and water, here you stop the cooking by adding ice directly to the broth, a method that chef and cookbook author Molly Baz landed on while creating a shrimp cocktail recipe for Bon Appétit in 2018.

When it comes to dipping sauces, the world is your crustacean. Go for a classic cocktail sauce with the sharp brightness of lemon and horseradish. Or prepare a simple garlicky dill butter, which makes the shrimp taste somehow of lobster. Better yet, reach for a comforting, warmly spiced honey mustard, because you always need a creamy option.

One sauce is grand, but three is a party — even if you’re eating the whole plate on your own.

Shrimp cocktail

Ingredients for shrimp:

• 2 pounds large (21to 25-count) shrimp, shelled and deveined

• Kosher salt

• 8 cups ice cubes (about 2 pounds), plus more for serving

• 1/4 cup mild red chile powder, gochugaru or sweet paprika with a dash of ground cayenne

• 1 tablespoon celery seeds

• 2 lemons

Ingredients for cocktail sauce:

• 1/2 cup ketchup

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish

• 1 large garlic clove, finely grated

• Kosher salt and black pepper

• Tabasco sauce

Ingredients for garlicky dill butter:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter

• 2 large garlic cloves

• 1/4 packed cup fresh dill (from 1 small bunch), finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• Kosher salt and black pepper Ingredients for the curried honey mustard:

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon curry powder

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne

• Kosher salt and black pepper

Directions:

In a large bowl, toss together the shrimp and 2 teaspoons salt, and set aside. Keep the 8 cups ice nearby, either in another large bowl or directly in the icemaker tray of your refrigerator.

Meanwhile, fill a large pot with 8 cups water, 1/2 cup salt, the chile powder and celery seeds and bring to a boil.

Remove the pot from the heat and add the shrimp to the hot liquid, stirring occasionally, until just cooked through and no longer translucent on the inside, 2-3 minutes.

Immediately dump the ice into the pot to stop the cooking, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is cool to warm or room temperature, about 1 minute.

Pour the contents of the pot into a colander in the sink, then transfer the drained, celery seed-dotted shrimp to a large platter and refrigerate until ready to eat. Cut the lemons into quarters lengthwise, then cut each piece in half crosswise.

Make the cocktail sauce: In a small bowl, stir the ketchup, lemon juice, horseradish and garlic to combine, and season to taste with salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce.

Make the garlicky dill butter: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat or in the microwave. Add the garlic, dill, lemon juice and sugar to a small bowl and stir in the hot melted butter. Season with salt and pepper.

Make the curried honey mustard: In a small bowl, stir the mayonnaise, mustard, honey, lemon juice, curry powder and cayenne to combine.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. All three sauces can be stored in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. (The dill butter will need to be reheated in the microwave.)

To serve, cover a large platter with cubed or crushed ice, top with the poached and cooled shrimp and scatter the lemon pieces all over.

Serve with one or more of the dipping sauces on the side.

Total time: 15 minutes, serves 8.

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