1. Fill a large casserole three-quarters full of salted water. Add onion, black peppercorns, and bay leaf and bring to a boil on high heat.
2. Meanwhile, peel shrimp, removing tails.
3. Drop shrimp into boiling water and cook 1–2 minutes or until they turn pink.
4. Using a skimmer, remove shrimp and plunge immediately into a bath of ice water. Drain well and pat dry with paper towel. Discard cooking liquid.
5. In a small bowl, combine red peppers, mayonnaise, tarragon or dill, and hot sauce.
6. Spread mixture evenly on crackers. Place a shrimp on each and top with a few sprigs of spring mix.

Chef’s secret

The cooked shrimp will keep for a day in the fridge as long as they’re in a sealed container.