A little dab of cocktail sauce can enliven shrimp, oysters, clams, scallops, crab cakes, fish cakes and many other seafood delights.

Whether you dab it on raw or fried oysters, scallops and clams, use it to anchor shrimp cocktails or present it as a dipping sauce for fried fish and crab cakes, nothing lifts the flavor of bite-sized seafood appetizers like a simple cocktail sauce.

There’s no need to go overboard with this recipe. Just a few handy ingredients and about five minutes of prep time are all you’ll need.

Ingredients:

• 1/2-cup ketchup
• 3 tbs white horseradish
• dash of garlic salt
• dash of celery salt
• several drops of Tabasco sauce (to taste)
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice.
• 1 or two sprigs of chopped dill or parsley

Preparation:

1. In a small serving bowl or ramekin, mix together all ingredients, reserving a little bit of dill or parsley. Stir thoroughly.
2. Sprinkle remaining dill or parsley on top of mixture.
3. Chill at least 1-hour before serving.

Note: Unlike baking, cooking is not an exact science. Readers are encouraged to adjust and modify these recipes to their own tastes.