Description
A classic and refreshing Prawn Cocktail recipe featuring plump prawns tossed in a tangy, creamy sauce and served on a bed of crisp iceberg lettuce. Perfect as a light appetizer or starter, this dish combines simple ingredients like mayonnaise, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and horseradish to create a deliciously flavorful seafood treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Prawns
- 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
Salad Base
- About 3 cups iceberg lettuce, finely sliced
- Lemon wedges, for garnish
- Finely chopped parsley (optional)
Sauce
- 2/3 cup / 165 ml mayonnaise, preferably good quality whole egg mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp ketchup (or Australian/UK tomato sauce)
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp freshly grated horseradish (or substitute 1 1/2 tsp jarred horseradish OR 3/4 tsp wasabi)
- Dash of Tabasco sauce (to taste)
- Pinch of cayenne pepper (to taste and for a tiny bit of color)
Instructions
- Prepare the Prawns: If using whole prawns, remove the heads and peel them, leaving a few whole for decoration if you wish. Deveining is usually unnecessary for medium cooked prawns due to their small size.
- Make the Sauce: In a small bowl, thoroughly mix together the mayonnaise, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, freshly grated horseradish, Tabasco sauce, and cayenne pepper to create the cocktail sauce.
- Toss Prawns in Sauce: Add the peeled prawns to the sauce and gently toss until all the prawns are evenly coated with the cocktail sauce.
- Assemble the Cocktail: Place a bed of finely sliced iceberg lettuce into serving dishes. Martini glasses work well, but any small serving vessel or lettuce cups can be used.
- Serve and Garnish: Spoon the sauced prawns on top of the lettuce, garnish with lemon wedges and sprinkle with finely chopped parsley if desired. Serve immediately for best freshness.
Notes
- The recipe works well with either raw or pre-cooked prawns. If using raw, ensure they are cooked before making the cocktail.
- Using good quality whole egg mayonnaise greatly enhances the flavor of the sauce.
- Horseradish can be adjusted or substituted with wasabi for a different kick.
- Tabasco and cayenne pepper levels can be adjusted according to your spice tolerance.
- Serve chilled for optimal taste and freshness.
