Shrimp Cocktail with Rocoto Chile Dipping Sauce

This chile pepper originated in the mountains of South America and Mexico. Because of their appearance they are often called “Manzano” which means apple chile. This pepper can only be grown in these regions at elevations above 5000′ therefore making these very rare in the US.These chiles are unique in that they are the only ones that have black seeds. They are very hot and meaty. Rocotos are chopped and used in salsas or sometimes stuffed with cheese and meat and then baked.

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Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups prepared chili sauce (store bought)
1-1/2 cups ketchup
1 lemon, juiced, plus 2 lemons, halved
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup prepared horseradish
2 Tbsp. rocoto Peruvian chile paste
1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
4 Tbsp. pickling spices
2 Tbsp. hot pepper sauce
salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 (Jumbo or U-10 size) shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tails still attached

Instructions:

Prepare the cocktail sauce in a large bowl. Combine the chili sauce, ketchup, lemon juice, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, rocoto chile paste and cilantro, mix well and set aside.

In a large sauce pot filled with water, add the pickling spices, lemon halves, hot pepper sauce and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Skewer the shrimp from the tail to the top, (5 per skewer) and add the shrimp to the boiling water. Cook for 5 minutes, remove from the water and plunge into an ice bath to refresh for 5 minutes until the shrimp are completely cool.

Serve on a platter with a bowl of the dipping sauce in the middle.

Yields 2 servings.

Recipe from the Food Network.