Crab And Shrimp Cocktail Lettuce Wraps Recipe

Forget the martini glasses filled with shrimp salad and cloying cocktail sauce: These crab and shrimp cocktail lettuce wraps are here to make you reimagine this retro recipe. Filled with succulent crab meat and tender shrimp pieces under a drizzle of a perky, horseradish-spiked homemade cocktail sauce, these lettuce wraps are perfect as refreshing and surprising hors d'oeuvres for a party.

According to recipe developer Ksenia Prints of At the Immigrant's Table, these lettuce wraps offer a lighter, much more elegant alternative to traditional seafood cocktails, and they're perfect for a holiday cocktail party or even a light lunch on warm weather days. This recipe balances the natural sweetness of the crab and shrimp with the tangy kick of Worcestershire and horseradish. Boston lettuce provides a satisfying crunch and a convenient wrap for the filling, and radishes are the perfect peppery garnish. Easy to prepare and visually appealing, these wraps offer sophistication and flavor with their fresh and elegant presentation. 

To make these fresh-tasting shrimp and crab cocktail lettuce wraps, you will need to stock up on some fresh ingredients, as well as some pantry items. For the crab and shrimp filling itself, you will need cooked crab meat and cooked shrimp meat. Both can be found frozen in many supermarkets, as well as fresh at the fishmonger's. You will also want some fresh lemon juice and some fresh chives, to add zestiness and a touch of allium flavor. For the spicy cocktail sauce, you will need ketchup, prepared horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco or other vinegar-based hot sauce, and more lemon juice. Finally, to serve the wraps, you will need fresh sliced radishes and a head of Boston lettuce with the leaves separated (you can also use bibb lettuce for this).

Combine the crab meat and shrimp in a bowl.

Add the chives, lemon juice and zest, salt, and pepper.

To make the cocktail sauce, mix the ketchup, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, and lemon juice in a separate bowl.

Refrigerate both the seafood mixture and the sauce separately for 1 hour.

Arrange Boston lettuce leaves on serving plates.

Divide the seafood mixture among lettuce cups.

Top with sliced radishes.

Drizzle spicy cocktail sauce over each cup.

Serve immediately.

While the spicy cocktail sauce complements the seafood perfectly and is a nod to the traditional flavors of your familiar cocktail sauce, this recipe is also an invitation to play around and experiment with other flavors. Creamy sauces also hold up well to the seafood filling, as well as anything else that has some tang and zest.

A classic remoulade sauce, made with mayonnaise, herbs, capers, and pickles, offers the perfect combination of creamy and tangy. Try a simple lemon-garlic aioli for a lighter option, to highlight the seafood's natural flavors without overpowering them. If you're looking for an Asian-inspired twist, an easy sweet chili sauce or a touch of wasabi could add an exciting dimension to the cocktail sauce. If you love some heat, a sriracha mayo or a chipotle cream sauce is perfect for a spicy kick. A garlic butter sauce, while richer, is a great alternative if you prefer warm sauces. Whatever sauce you choose, choose something thick enough to cling to the seafood but not so heavy that it makes the lettuce wraps difficult to eat.

You can start with raw shrimp for these lettuce cups, but you will still need to properly prep them for safe consumption. You have two main options: cooking the shrimp or marinating them as a ceviche. To cook the raw shrimp, simply saute them in a pan with a bit of oil, garlic, and lemon juice. Cook for about 2-3 minutes per side until they turn pink and opaque. Let them cool before slicing and adding to the crab mixture.

If you opt for preparing the shrimp as a ceviche, you need to slice the raw shrimp into small pieces and marinate them in lime or lemon juice. You will need about ½ cup of citrus juice for the shrimp in this recipe. Make sure all the shrimp pieces are submerged in the juice, then refrigerate for 30 minutes to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp turns opaque and firm. Drain the citrus juice before mixing with the crab and the rest of the ingredients. When using the ceviche method, it's important to use very fresh, high-quality shrimp from a reputable source. While the citrus juice denatures the proteins in a process similar to cooking, it doesn't kill all potential bacteria. Therefore, only use this method for shrimp when you're sure of their provenance.