For years, I poached or boiled shrimp for shrimp cocktails, which many recipes call for. It was the same routine: Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt, and add the shrimp. Cook for maybe 5 minutes.

However, when it’s my father-in-law Jim’s turn to text, my answer has remained the same for all 15 years we’ve been hosting: “Shrimp Cocktail ... shells from the top, leaving about ...