Prawn Cocktail.

Bring on Prawn Cocktails! Prawns (shrimp) tossed in a classic rose coloured Prawn Cocktail Sauce. So Aussie, so summer, so Christmas, so…..erm…80’s??

Prawn Cocktails might be a classic from the 80’s but in my books, they have NEVER gone out of fashion and never will!

In my younger days, I associated prawn cocktails with posh restaurants and feeling very grown up, eating the prawns out of fancy looking glasses with little forks. I know that nowadays, many posh restaurants do modernised versions of prawn cocktails. Plating them up in a fancy way, with poshed-up sauces (I think I even saw a prawn cocktail foam sauce once!!). It’s quite common to see avocado in prawn cocktails too.

I’ve never poshed-up Prawn Cocktails. To me, it’s a classic that is perfect as it is. Yes avocado goes great with it. But it doesn’t need it! It doesn’t make it any better for me personally, so I stick with the base recipe.

Today’s, it’s a perfect summer day here in Sydney. Clear blue skies, the ocean is crystal clear (though surfers are probably sulking because there is zero surf). For festive seasons and summer holidays in Australia, the vision of piles of fresh prawns is one that is familiar to many.

And we all know that there is only one thing better than the sight of a pile of fresh prawns….

….a pile of peeled freshly cooked prawns. Am I right or am I right?? 😉

Thus the ultimate appeal of Prawn Cocktails. It’s every prawn lovers dream come true because it’s a mound of prawns that someone has already peeled for you!

The sauce for Prawn Cocktails is a Marie Rose Sauce. A simple blend of mayonnaise, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce, with optional horseradish. I use Neil Perry’s recipe (he’s a famous restauranteur in Australia). Fab for prawn cocktails but also a great sauce generally for dipping in prawns, chicken fingers/nuggets, wings and err….well, many things! (I have a brain block and am rushing because I want to get to the beach!)

As for the serving vessel for Prawn Cocktails – well, it just so happens that I have martini glasses because I am rather partial to the odd martini myself. . However, you don’t need fancy glasses for Prawn Cocktails. Yes they are nice served in glass. But they are just as tasty and quite cute in any smallish bowl or ramekins. And failing that, serve them in lettuce leaves! (Actually, that’s a great idea for an appetiser!)

I actually made this for my 2016 Christmas Menu. Last week I shared the main centrepiece, a Baked Parmesan Crusted Salmon with a Lemon Cream Sauce and next week I will share the dessert (Aussie PAV!) as well as a post bringing the whole menu together with sides etc.

I know many of you reading this are in or approaching the dark depths of winter, so hopefully this doesn’t make you jealous about our Australian summer but instead brings back memories of YOUR summer! – Nagi xx

• 1 kg / 2 lb medium fresh cooked or raw prawns with shell and heads on (yields

600g once peeled); OR

600 g / 1.2 lb fresh cooked prawns already peeled

About 3 cup iceberg lettuce , finely sliced

Lemon wedges

Finely chopped parsley (optional)

• 2/3 cup / 165 ml mayonnaise , preferably good quality whole egg mayonnaise (Note 2)
• 1 tbsp ketchup or Australian/UK tomato sauce (Note 3)
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp freshly grated horseradish (or sub 1 1/2 tsp jarred OR 3/4 tsp wasabi)
• Dash of tabasco sauce (to taste)
• Pinch of cayenne pepper (to taste + tiny bit of colour)

1. Let's talk PRAWNS! The better and fresher your prawns, the tastier this will be. In Australia, seafood stores and even major supermarkets sell really great quality fresh whole cooked prawns. They are basically cooked the moment they are caught, so they are great quality!

LIFE OF DOZER

See? I told you it was a beautiful day today. 🙂 Dozer is gagging to get to the beach so I’m signing off. Have a great weekend! N x

Eija Sipilä says

I love your “nutrition stamp”. It looks so “professional” and is easy to read. I am collecting your wonderful recipes yo my digital cookbook, Mastercook. Lately you have been doing something differently than earlier. I cannot anymore copy-paste the stamp. However I can add the written lines. So there are still nutrients on my recipes but not so professional. 😎

Hi Eija! That’s odd, I am using the same method for pasting in the nutrition table 🙂 I’m so glad you’re enjoying my recipes, thank you for letting me know! N x

Where do you buy your fresh horse radish here in Australia, Nagi? xx Nikki

Hi Nikki! I find it at (some) Harris Farms and Thomas Dux. But don’t worry if you can’t, honestly, jar or wasabi is great! N xx

I’m in agreement, prawn cocktail is a classic and needs no further embellishment from avocadoes etc… I’m going to try your recipe as I’m a fan of horseradish and wasabi, both have that nasal passage clearing quality and bring a welcome warmth to a sauce. I have a recipe that also includes a shot of scotch which is delicious. I’m a fan of your lovely dog and enjoy seeing his updates at the end of your posts. Merry Christmas.x

Oooh another reader mentioned sherry too! I am definitely trying a shot of some liquor the next time I make this. 🙂 Merry Christmas to you too! N x

Wow to Dozers life!! Nagi yumi, nice and Light, Fresh, love IT. Must share with YOU My Luck! Friend brought me goodies from her garden, bag Of herbs, rosmary, two tapestries Of mine , kafira leaves , garlic, grapefrut and last is the best home grown Blackberries!! Done Cooking for her, risottos with mushrooms and smoke salmon and givinkomquat from Liquer for fruit cake. But there is more. Dear Neighbour brought me bag Of home grown broad beans, My fingers Are ALL twisted, piling them double ! But ALL is good. Inreturn givin home Made marmelade.! Wish YOU Were here so we could share! Regards, Vera.

Oh wow you’re so lucky Vera! Sounds like your kitchen has been in full action mode! N xx

Always and forever a great classic! The color on those shrimp is simply gorgeous and that dipping sauce… such a fantastic compliment! I love posh foods that are a quick, easy, and serve a crowd. I hope Dozer got a few of those bad boys 😉

You KNOW he did….

Dorothy Geoffrey says

WHAT IS A RECIPE FOR THE PINK SEAFOOD SAUCE I CAN SERVE WITH PRAWNS IN LONG LEGGED GLASSES I HAVE.

Strangely (maybe) I’ve found a little cream sherry in the sauce works very well 🙂

Not strange at all actually, I get it! Might have to give it a go this Christmas…. 🙂 N x

This is what I call ease appetizer now for the holiday. Looks so delicious!

YOU GOT IT. 🙂 N x

A classic! Makes me think of my mother and want some right now.

Awww I love hearing that Victoria! N x

The water looks beautiful and so do your shots of the shrimp salad. We love our shrimp and I agree, about feeling that a shrimp cocktail makes one feel like it’s a special occasion. And smarty you went even further and put it in a fancy glass. When we make our sauce it is more of a tomatoey, horseradishy, lemony sauce. We’re fortunate to get fresh wild caught shrimp which are amazing! I’ll have to try your sauce, we do like our wasabi. Have a great weekend – Dorothy must live around the same area I do, it is 24F here.

Only because I have martini glasses! Come on – you don’t have martini glasses?? I picked you for a cocktail girl! N x

Dorothy Dunton says

Hi! One word…PERFECT!! You know I’m doing your Parmesan crusted salmon (with lemon sauce) for Christmas Eve so I absolutely have to have these! I never get tired of shrimp, they are so versatile in so many dishes! Jambalaya and paella come to mind! I would sub a little Old Bay for the cayenne. I know it is not available in Australia, but Claire posted a homemade version if you’re interested. Have a wonderful, warm weekend! PS It is 25F here just in case you were wondering. 🙂

Josephine B says

Dorothy Dunton, I live in Aust. as well and I make all sorts of spice and herb mixes that can only be purchased in the States including your mentioned “Old Bay” and Mrs. Dash as with many more and use them almost daily. I’ve been astounded every time I visit the States and walk through the supermarkets there compared with what we have here. I only wish the companies here would build their stores twice the size they are to accommodate the amount of FOOD stock variety you guys have and that’s just groceries without all the other stuff they stock.

Hi Josephine – I hear you! ? The selection of spices over there – especially the variety of Mexican spices and seasonings – is SO GOOD!! And condiments too. You should have seen the suitcase I brought back last time I came back from the states…..jam packed not with shoes and clothes, but cans of green chillies and spices!!

Josephine B says

Hi Nagi, I didn’t think we were allowed to bring food back into Australia, so I’ve never tried since there’s so much one has to declare and I don’t want to have anything confiscated since I’ve paid good money, so I don’t bring food in. I’ve made so many spice and herb mixes though from “copy-cats” type and find them very good, even though I don’t know how the original may taste, but the copies will do me fine as I presume they must be very similar. I love your page as it keep my mind wondering and taste-buds salivating. Just keep them coming as I rarely make the same thing twice because there’s SO MANY BEAUTIFUL dishes (meals) I want to try and you don’t give me much of a chance to make them more, unless my hubby says “That’s flippin’ GOOOOD”.

I’ve MADE her Old bay! seriously! I ran out of the tin I bought back from the states! N xx

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Find a recipe!

Hi, I’m Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! ♥

Never miss a recipe!

Join my free email list and receive TWO free cookbooks!

Hi, I’m Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! ♥ Read More…

Classic Prawn Cocktail Recipe

• 10 mins
• Prep: 5 mins,
• Cook: 5 mins
• Yield: Serves 4

A traditional prawn cocktail was the 1960's and 70' favourite starter. Back then it was considered sophisticated but sadly, over time it fell out of fashion, as many once-popular foods do. However, now it is back and has been smartened up, though the recipe remains much the same.

A Prawn Cocktail is one of the quickest and easiest of starters, however having a super tasty one is not that easy if you don't use the best ingredients, particularly your choice of prawns and shrimp. There are many cheap, frozen prawns available in the supermarket freezer cabinet; sadly, these do not make good cocktails. Once defrosted they often tend to be watery and tasteless.

Use a good mayonnaise for the sauce, if you have the time, then make your own, you will notice the difference.

Adding a dash of creamed horseradish zaps up the cocktail, if you don't have any creamed horseradish to hand, just add tomato ketchup for a tasty sauce.

Iceberg traditionally is the lettuce to use for the cocktail, it stands up well and doesn't go soggy. You can also use Romaine.

What You'll Need

• 500g (2 cups) peeled, cooked prawns or shrimp
• 4 tablespoon home made or good quality mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon creamed horseradish sauce
• 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
• 2 cups shredded Romaine or iceberg lettuce
• 1 lime, quartered
• 4 large, cooked prawns, shelled with tail on (optional)

How to Make It

• Place the prawns into a large bowl. Add the mayonnaise, creamed horseradish and tomato ketchup and stirred to combine all the ingredients. Make sure all the prawns or shrimp are coated in the sauce if it seems a little thin, add a little more of each sauce ingredient.
• Divide the shredded lettuce between 4 large wine glasses and top with the prawns and sauce. Arrange in a neat pile, not only slap on the top.

• Decorate each glass with a wedge of lime and place a large prawn on the edge of the glass (if using) and serve immediately with small slices of buttered brown bread. If you are not serving the cocktail immediately, then assemble the sauce and keep in the fridge with the prawns and put together at the last minute. If you make the cocktail too far in advance, it tends to become watery and split, always best made when needed.

Alternative Prawn Cocktail:

The classic prawn cocktail is as the recipe above; You can ring the changes by adding a few other flavours and ingredients.

Add a tiny amount of grated fresh ginger and a splash of chilli sauce for a south east Asian style cocktail.

Switch the iceberg for a mixture of romaine and rocket for a little spicy taste.

Prawn cocktail

less than 30 mins

no cooking required

Use a mixture of king prawns and smaller prawns for the maximum texture and taste in this classic starter.

Unfortunately we are unable to add this recipe to your favourites, please try again later.

Ingredients

For the dressing

• 275g/10oz mayonnaise
• 2 small garlic cloves, crushed
• 6 tbsp roughly chopped fresh coriander
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tsp apricot jam
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the prawn cocktail

• 900g/2lb mixed cooked unpeeled prawns, shells removed
• 2 firm pink grapefruit, peeled and segmented
• ½ small white cabbage, cored and shredded
• 2 fennel bulbs, trimmed, quartered and thinly sliced
• 2 Little Gem lettuces, thinly sliced

To garnish

• ½ lime, thinly sliced
• small handful fresh coriander leaves
• ½ red chilli, deseeded and cut into thin strips

Place all of the dressing ingredients into a food processor and blend until combined and smooth, then season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place into a bowl and store in the fridge until ready to serve.

To make the prawn cocktail, place the prawns and dressing into a bowl and mix together gently.

Tear the grapefruit segments into chunks and add them to the prawn mixture, stirring to combine.

Place the cabbage, fennel and lettuce into a separate large bowl and mix together well.

Divide the salad mixture among eight flat sundae glasses or bowls.

Spoon equal portions of the prawn and grapefruit mixture over the top of each.

Garnish with a slice of lime, a few coriander leaves and a few shreds of red chilli and serve.

How-to videos

Recommended wine

Australian Verdelho or Italian Pinot Grigio

Classic Prawn Cocktail Recipe

• 10 mins
• Prep: 5 mins,
• Cook: 5 mins
• Yield: Serves 4

A traditional prawn cocktail was the 1960's and 70' favourite starter. Back then it was considered sophisticated but sadly, over time it fell out of fashion, as many once-popular foods do. However, now it is back and has been smartened up, though the recipe remains much the same.

A Prawn Cocktail is one of the quickest and easiest of starters, however having a super tasty one is not that easy if you don't use the best ingredients, particularly your choice of prawns and shrimp. There are many cheap, frozen prawns available in the supermarket freezer cabinet; sadly, these do not make good cocktails. Once defrosted they often tend to be watery and tasteless.

Use a good mayonnaise for the sauce, if you have the time, then make your own, you will notice the difference.

Adding a dash of creamed horseradish zaps up the cocktail, if you don't have any creamed horseradish to hand, just add tomato ketchup for a tasty sauce.

Iceberg traditionally is the lettuce to use for the cocktail, it stands up well and doesn't go soggy. You can also use Romaine.

What You'll Need

• 500g (2 cups) peeled, cooked prawns or shrimp
• 4 tablespoon home made or good quality mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon creamed horseradish sauce
• 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
• 2 cups shredded Romaine or iceberg lettuce
• 1 lime, quartered
• 4 large, cooked prawns, shelled with tail on (optional)

How to Make It

• Place the prawns into a large bowl. Add the mayonnaise, creamed horseradish and tomato ketchup and stirred to combine all the ingredients. Make sure all the prawns or shrimp are coated in the sauce if it seems a little thin, add a little more of each sauce ingredient.
• Divide the shredded lettuce between 4 large wine glasses and top with the prawns and sauce. Arrange in a neat pile, not only slap on the top.

• Decorate each glass with a wedge of lime and place a large prawn on the edge of the glass (if using) and serve immediately with small slices of buttered brown bread. If you are not serving the cocktail immediately, then assemble the sauce and keep in the fridge with the prawns and put together at the last minute. If you make the cocktail too far in advance, it tends to become watery and split, always best made when needed.

Alternative Prawn Cocktail:

The classic prawn cocktail is as the recipe above; You can ring the changes by adding a few other flavours and ingredients.

Add a tiny amount of grated fresh ginger and a splash of chilli sauce for a south east Asian style cocktail.

Switch the iceberg for a mixture of romaine and rocket for a little spicy taste.

Prawn Cocktail

Recipe by Young cook ellie

Top Review by

Thx, Made for PAC 2011

Top Review by

Thx, Made for PAC 2011

Prawn Cocktail

SERVES:

Ingredients Nutrition

• 450 g small peeled cooked prawns
• 200 g salad cream
• 3 tablespoons tomato ketchup
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 drops Tabasco sauce
• 3 heads little gem lettuce
• 1 tablespoon pink peppercorns, crushed

Directions

1. Make sure the prawns are drained well of their briny liquid.
2. Mix the salad cream, ketchup, lemon juice and Tabasco in a bowl.
3. Tip in the prawns and mix to coat them in the Marie-Rose sauce.
4. Finally shred the lettuce, and arrange as a bed on six small plates or shallow bowls.
5. Divide the prawns in their sauce on the centre of each plate in a kind of pyramid, and then scatter with roughly crushed peppercorns or dust with paprika.
6. As long as the prawns were properly thawed and drained before you started immersing them in their famous coral pink sauce, it does not matter if they sit for a good few hours in the fridge before being dolloped out onto their lettuce-lined dishes.

get the genius kitchen app.

Watch on your iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Roku, or Fire TV.

get the genius kitchen app.

Watch on your iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Roku, or Fire TV.

Join the Conversation

• all
• reviews
• tweaks
• q & a

Attach Photo

Would you like to attach a photo to your submission?

• Browse
• Cancel

Attach Photo

The image has been attached to your submission.

Report this post?

Are you sure you want to report this post for review?

• Yes, report it.
• Oops! Cancel!

You must be logged in to interact with the activity feed.

• Log in now
• Cancel

Missing Input

Please enter a rating or review before submitting.

Missing Input

Please enter a reply before submitting.

Please enter your before submitting.

Your reply has been submitted for moderation.

There was an error processing your submission. Please refresh and try again!

Nutrition Info

Serving Size: 1 (118 g)

Servings Per Recipe: 6

Amt. Per Serving % Daily Value Calories 158.4 Calories from Fat 99 63% Total Fat 11.1 g 17% Saturated Fat 6.5 g 32% Cholesterol 131.5 mg 43% Sodium 520.6 mg 21% Total Carbohydrate 3.7 g 1% Dietary Fiber 0 g 0% Sugars 1.8 g 7% Protein 11.1 g 22%

Paleo Prawn Cocktail

Paleo prawn cocktail is so incredibly easy, and can be used as a base for a simple salad. Why not add sliced celery, peppers, or even chilli powder then place over a leafy green salad for a complete meal.

Paleo Prawn Cocktail –

I am certain that if paleo caveman had a freezer and a stick blender he would have come up with this fabulous idea.

I haven’t eaten prawn cocktails since my childhood. Such a simple recipe and another way to add more seafood into your diet. You can serve it as an appetiser, lunch, dinner, school lunch or as an ‘anytime’ snack.

I always have a bag of frozen prawns in the freezer in case I have run out of fresh food for lunch boxes. Like tuna mayonnaise, it is an old faithful to fall back on when you don’t have a chance to go to the supermarket.

Paleo prawn cocktails are dairy free, gluten free, no seed oils, no sugars, no grains just prawns, tomato paste and mayonnaise. I even feel guilty calling this a recipe, but these kind of ideas seem to be really popular. Use my easy peasy homemade mayonnaise recipe.

Paleo Prawn Cocktail

Paleo prawn cocktail can be adapted easily by adding sliced peppers, crunchy celery or adding an extra pinch of chilli powder.

Course Dinner, Lunch, Lunch box, Snacks

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Calories 194 kcal

Ingredients

• 500 g frozen pre-cooked prawns/shrimps
• 125 ml mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• chilli powder to taste

Instructions

Mix the mayonnaise, tomato paste and chilli powder then fold thorough the prawns/shrimps.

How to give up sugar - FREE 5 day mini course

Discover how to give up sugar for life! Sign up for my FREE 5 day mini course.

• See how sugar is hiding from you
• Learn to eat out and stay sugar free
• Snack smarter
• See what's in my pantry
• Keep the momentum going and live sugar free for life!
• Get secret discount codes for subscribers only.

Success! Now check your email and let's get started!

Recent Posts

Another simple and easy snack idea that tastes great. I love using this recipe as a snack when my son gets home from school or as a dinner option to have on the table when I’ve run short of time, it’s so quick to make this 🙂

Josephine Anker says

I’d add lemon juice

Should the prawns be cooked or not?

I buy pre-cooked frozen prawns.

Assuming that the prawns are pre-cooked and not raw as in ceviche? I always have raw ones in the freezer that I have to shell and cook, but this would be worth buying pre-cooked ones for!

Yes, I have amended the recipe to make it clear you should use pre-cooked prawns here.

Huh, I never saw this recipe! I love prawn cocktails, so def adding it to my recipe book!…. Will probably serve with avocado like they do at one of my fav restaurants! hehe (IF I can remember how they do it exactly. We go there every year with hubbys work for Christmas, but the boss didn’t have time to do it last year :'( So I can’t remember exactly what they do! I am sure I will work something out hahaha 😉 )

I like to add a bit of horseradish to the dipping sauce for all bit of a kick. A great idea for appetizer or part of a meal!

Great blog enjoyed reading it and greet photos as well keep up the good work 🙂

Hey thanks Abi, that is such a nice and kind comment to leave for me. It really makes all the hard work worthwhile 🙂 xxx

i gotta have some horseradish with mine!

I just love prawn cocktail ……. thanks for the recipe idea.

Sometimes a little lemon juice can go well too !

All the best Jan

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

All the recipes on Ditch The Carbs are low-carb, sugar free, grain free and gluten free. Many are keto and paleo. When you ditch the carbs, sugar and wheat, you'll discover how easy and nutritious it is.

Lose weight, obtain stable blood sugars, improve concentration, stabilise hunger, improve your diet and reduce your insulin resistance. START TODAY .

Prawn cocktail recipes

A classic prawn cocktail is sure to impress your guests, but why not try a recipe for spicy prawn cocktail, prawn avocado coktail or prawn ceviche. We have these recipes and lots more to choose from!

16 recipes

Spicy prawn cocktail

This is not your normal prawn cocktail! This recipe calls for lots of fresh coriander, cucumber, spring onions and chilli which gives the classic a Mexican flavour boost. It's a great colourful starter for a summer dinner party.

Recipe by: Rey Garza

Easy prawn cocktail

A classic recipe in our house! This usually features as our Christmas starter. I like to serve it in a glass bowl.

Recipe by: Mrs. Mary Hunt

Prawn Cocktail

Classic prawn cocktail with a Marie Rose sauce.

Recipe by: David

Marie Rose seafood sauce

This is a simple recipe for a seafood sauce. It can also be used as the basis for a prawn cocktail. If you need to make it in advance, store the sauce in a jar or airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days.

Melon and prawn cocktail

This refreshing melon and prawn starter is perfect on a warm summer evening as an accompaniment to an outdoor meal or as a light lunch. Serve the melon and prawn mixture as you would a prawn cocktail, with lettuce and a slice of lemon.

Recipe by: MollyDawson

Ultimate prawn cocktail

The traditional Christmas prawn cocktail with a twist – perfect for Christmas Day.

Jubilee prawn cocktail leafy salad

Celebrate the Jubilee in style, simple, classic, with a smoky twist, and it's only 291 calories per portion.

Prawn cocktail on mixed greens

A fantastic take on prawn cocktail that will impress everyone yet it's so easy to make.

Prawn Cocktail in Lettuce Cups

The classic prawn cocktail with a twist. Lettuce cups are filled with seasoned chopped lettuce, then topped with prawns in a saffron-infused mayonnaise. Enjoy as an appetiser or starter.

Recipe by: Katch22

Perfect Prawn Cocktail

A delicious starter, which always goes down well at dinner parties. Prawns are tossed with a seasoned tomato sauce and topped with chopped avocado.

Prawn & Avocado Cocktail

Recipe by Cuthieruthie

Top Review by

Top Review by

Prawn & Avocado Cocktail

SERVES:

Ingredients Nutrition

• 1 head lettuce
• 2 avocados
• 500 g prawns
• 1 cup ketchup (chili ketchup is quite nice)
• 1 cup mayonnaise (light is ok)
• Tabasco sauce
• brandy (optional)

Directions

1. Shred lettuce.
2. Peel and cut avocado in fan like shapes.
3. Mix ketchup, mayonnaise, Tabasco and brandy together until an even pink colour.
4. Mix prawns into sauce, approx a handful per person.
5. Serve on top of lettuce with avocado on side of plate.

get the genius kitchen app.

Watch on your iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Roku, or Fire TV.

get the genius kitchen app.

Watch on your iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Roku, or Fire TV.

Join the Conversation

• all
• reviews
• tweaks
• q & a

Attach Photo

Would you like to attach a photo to your submission?

• Browse
• Cancel

Attach Photo

The image has been attached to your submission.

Report this post?

Are you sure you want to report this post for review?

• Yes, report it.
• Oops! Cancel!

You must be logged in to interact with the activity feed.

• Log in now
• Cancel

Missing Input

Please enter a rating or review before submitting.

Missing Input

Please enter a reply before submitting.

Please enter your before submitting.

Your reply has been submitted for moderation.

There was an error processing your submission. Please refresh and try again!

Nutrition Info

Serving Size: 1 (250 g)

Servings Per Recipe: 4

Amt. Per Serving % Daily Value Calories 550.4 Calories from Fat 323 59% Total Fat 35.9 g 55% Saturated Fat 5.2 g 26% Cholesterol 172.8 mg 57% Sodium 1825.8 mg 76% Total Carbohydrate 41.4 g 13% Dietary Fiber 8.1 g 32% Sugars 18.8 g 75% Protein 21.8 g 43%

Prawn stars

Confession time: prawn cocktail is my secret vice. When I get home late after working in the Fat Duck there's nothing I like better than to raid the fridge for prawn cocktail. Homemade, shop-bought – at two in the morning I don't really care. But given the choice, I'd go for the recipe below. It is best if you make your own mayonnaise, but you can use jarred. And my own personal tip: put a little chopped basil and tarragon into the mix to introduce some fresh, lively extra flavour.

Advertisement

Ingredients (Serve 4)

• 110g tomato ketchup
• 100g mayonnaise
• ¼tsp cayenne pepper
• 12 drops Worcestershire sauce
• 10g lemon juice
• Salt and black pepper
• 400g cooked shelled prawns
• 1 iceberg lettuce, finely shredded
• 1 avocado, peeled and diced

Combine the tomato ketchup, mayonnaise, cayenne pepper, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Add the prawns to the sauce and stir to coat.

Place the shredded lettuce on the bottom of four glasses or glass bowls, followed by the avocado, then a generous spoonful of prawns and sauce

Heston Blumenthal At Home by Heston Blumenthal is out now (Bloomsbury, £30).

Advertisement

Originally published in the March 2012 issue of British GQ.

Share this article

• share-email

Recommended

Bob Dylan review: He hasn't sounded better in 20 years

If you've never seen him, now's the time

By Charlie Burton

Baywatch’s rising star: Alexandra Daddario

Meet the True Detective star diving into comedy with the (very) beautiful people of the big-screen Baywatch reboot.

By Oliver Franklin-Wallis

The rising star of Dunkirk: Fionn Whitehead

Fionn Whitehead takes his place among the heroes of Dunkirk

By Alex Godfrey

The Converse All-Star Line-Up

Now with fresh colours designed for those bursting at the seams with creativity

Bloody Mary Prawn Cocktail

My Bloody Mary Prawn Cocktail (or Bloody Mary Shrimp Cocktail if you prefer!) takes an 80s dinner party classic, and brings it bang up to date. A spicy sauce adds depth to this appetiser, and even better, it’s ready to serve in 15 minutes and can be made ahead of time.

Bloody Mary Prawn Cocktail – A Twist On A Classic Recipe

Traditionally, the sauce in a prawn cocktail is made up of a mixture of mayonnaise and tomato sauce. The ketchup produces a very sweet and artificial edge. To give it a fresher and richer taste, I substituted the ketchup with passata – the sieved tomato sauce contains very little additional sugars and preservatives so tastes much purer.

To get those classic Bloody Mary flavours into the sauce, worcestershire sauce, tabasco and lemon juice is added to give a spicy and refreshing tang.

Is There A Difference Between Prawns and Shrimps?!

For quite a while I thought that prawns and shrimps where the same things, that it was just another one of those things that Brits and Americans have different names for – and apparently i’m not alone! They are different biologically, but for the recipes the two are definitely interchangeable. In the UK, prawns are more prevalent, but if you are reading this in the States and you can’t get your hands on any, shrimps will work just as well. If you are curious to find out more about shrimps and prawns, check out this much more knowledgeable article!

Bloody Mary Prawn Cocktail – The Presentation

One of the reasons I love creating appetisers is because you can have real fun with the plating, and my Bloody Mary Prawn Cocktail is no exception! When I started to develop the recipe, I knew instantly how I wanted to present it – let’s be honest, it kind of writes itself! I love the retro feel of presenting it in a large wine glass and it’s a great way to impress your dinner party guests!

I also wanted to plate a portion of the Bloody Mary Prawn Cocktail in a more traditional way. Using a chefs ring, I placed the prawns neatly on top of the lettuce and cucumber and spooned the sauce over the top and finishing off with a touch of black pepper.

As I was doing some research for this post, I stumbled across a recipe by Jamie Oliver which uses similar flavours, so if you give this a go and like it, you should definitely check out Jamie’s Bloody Mary Seafood Platter.

If it’s more seafood appetiser recipes you are after, then have a gander at my Thai Mussels or Salmon and Caviar Appetiser

• 100 g passata
• 100 g mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
• black pepper to taste
• juice 1/2 lemon
• 5-10 drops tabasco sauce to taste
• 150 g prawns or shrimp

• 1/4 cucumber
• 1 little gem lettuce
• salt and pepper
• lemon slice
• celery stick

Leaving the prawns to one side, mix the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl. Add the prawns and coat well. Cover and place in the fridge until needed, for up to 4 hours

Chop the lettuce and cucumber into small pieces, place in a bowl and mix together. Leave covered in the fridge until ready to serve.

Sprinkle some salt and pepper onto a small plate. Rub some lemon juice around the rim of the glass and roll it in the salt and pepper. Carefully spoon in half of the chopped lettuce and cucumber and then spoon in half of the prawns so the sit on top. Spoon over the sauce. Finish with a slice of lemon and celery stick

Place chefs ring (or circular cookie cutter!) in the middle of a plate and spoon in half of the lettuce and cucumber. Spoon the prawns over the top and remove the ring. spoon over some sauce and use a wedge of lemon and celery stick as garnish. Sprinkle with some black pepper.

Use as little or as much tabasco as you would like to in this dish. Taste the sauce as you make it, so its not too hot or mild for your taste!