Since my husband and I have been married, every year on Christmas Day our little family goes to my father-in-laws for dinner.  Every year he roasts a prime rib, and every year it is really good.  This year in particular though there happened to be another star on the table.

My mother-in-law Gail composed probably the best shrimp cocktail I have ever eaten!  I do not have the recipe for it here, but I am going to ask her for it.  Sadly though you will not be able to duplicate it unless you can get your hands on shrimp similar to the shrimp she uses.

You see my in-laws have a place off the coast of Vancouver Island, in a little village called Tahsis, where they spend 3-4 months out of the year deep sea fishing.  Their harvest consists of mainly King salmon, silver salmon, halibut, and of course prawns!

I honestly do not know what it is about these shrimp; maybe it is because they are so fresh.  But they have a distinct flavor and texture that is unmatched from any I have purchased in a store.  They are a pain to shell; I poke myself every time, but they are so worth the effort!