What is Cocktail Sauce?
Cocktail sauce is a tomato-based dipping sauce. It gets it name from its classic use as an accompaniment for seafood salads served as appetizers at cocktail parties. Cocktail sauce’s tomato base usually has zesty flavorings added that compliment seafood. A basic cocktail sauce always starts with tomato sauce, tomato puree, ketchup chili sauce or any combination of any types of tomato-based sauces. Most cocktail sauce recipes call for flavorings such as red pepper sauce and/or horseradish. Minced garlic, pepper, parsley or cilantro and sometimes chopped celery are also commonly added to the sauce. Red wine vinegar or cider vinegar is usually used and almost every cocktail sauce will have lemon juice or lime juice added.
