Classic Prawn co*cktail - My Gorgeous Recipes (2024)

Classic Prawn co*cktail with a crunchy gem lettuce base and cooked king prawns smothered in a prawn co*cktail sauce made with mayo, ketchup and a hint of tabasco, a delicious starter for the festive season, but also any other celebration throughout the year. Quick, super simple, but highly impressive.

When it comes to a good appetizer, prawns / shrimp are hard to beat. Especially around the festive season when fish and seafood in general are very popular. It really makes sense why, after all the rich and heavy Christmassy dishes, some healthy bites are so welcome.

These classic prawn co*cktail cups are not only delicious, but they also look apart, which is sure to impress your guests. They look expensive and posh, and are much more tasty than what shops have to offer when it comes to prawn co*cktails.

Apart from being an delicious appetizer for your Christmas dinner menu, it is also an excellent dish for a romantic meal for 2, so it can be served for Valentine's Day too, or any other romantic meal throughout the year.

You can use any kind of prawns you have, either small or large, the result is the same fancy starter. The sauce is made with just a few simple ingredients, so win win all around.

Ingredients used

• gem lettuce - it makes a great crunchy base which contrasts beautifully with the smoothness of the sauce, plus it gives a lovely colour
• king prawns - they have to be cooked for this dish, but you can either use fresh, in which case they are ready to be used straight away, or frozen, which need to be cooked
• mayonnaise - I prefer the full-fat version rather that the light mayo
• ketchup
• tabasco - or any other chilli sauce, use as little or as much you can handle
• lemon zest - for a nice fresh kick
• paprika - optional, for garnishing the cups

Step-by-step photos and instructions

1. Roughly chop the gem lettuce and distribute it evenly between 2 serving cups
2. In a bowl, combine the mayo, ketchup, tabasco and lemon zest and mix well to get a smooth sauce
3. Add the prawns and mix well to coat them in the sauce
4. Divide the prawns between the 2 cups and sprinkle some paprika over
5. Serve straight away or refrigerate until ready to be served

Expert tips

If you use ready-cooked prawns, nothing simpler. But if you have frozen ones, which can be cheaper in bought in bulk, either leave them to thaw overnight in the fridge, or bring a pan of water to a boil, and cook the prawns until they turn pink - they cook really quickly.

Do not cook them for too long, as they become rubbery and rather tough. As soon as they turn pink, drain the water and leave them to cool completely, before adding them to the prawn co*cktail sauce.

Do not add warm prawns to the sauce, not only it's not that appealing, but it can spoil the sauce too - warm mayo isn't really my thing.

If you don't serve them straight away, transfer the prawns and sauce to a tupperware and refrigerate until they are ready to be used.

Other prawn starters

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