Prawn Cocktail

Cooking Discussions Recipes
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Very simple;

  1. Finely shred two large leaves of lettuce,
  2. Quarter then eighth two large tomatoes, then carefully chop into 1cm size pieces,
  3. Mix 2 tbsp tomato ketchup, 2 tbsp mayo, 1 tsp horseradish, 1 tsp espelette or paprika, 1 tsp cayenne, 1 tsp celery salt, 1 tsp white pepper,
  4. Combine all above and plate,
  5. Top with 150g cooked and peeled cold water prawns,
  6. Garnish with a dusting of cayenne.

Variations could include slices of avocado and/or croutons.

Serves one or two.

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Welcome to the forum.

Nice recipe. I like the inclusion of horseradish but isnt there a risk that, with the use also of cayenne and pepper, it all starts to overpower the delicate flavour of the prawns? Do you deseed the tomatoes or leave them in?

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Hi John,

Ostensibly the recipe should include Worcester sauce, but i’d run out…

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That recipe very clearly would serve only one. If, that is, the one is me.

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When we first started eating out, in the 70s, the Berni Inn chain was where folk like us went for celebration meals. Prawn cocktail, steak & chips, Black Forest gateau. Ah, those were the days, my friends.

At home I still like the simplicity of a basic Marie Rose sauce - just ketchup and mayo - but generally work to St Delia’s Prawn Cocktail 2000 recipe from her Winter Collection book (1995). It adds Worcestershire, Tabasco and lime juice

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I think the problem is that if prawns taste of ‘something’ then that isn’t a good thing…

absolutely agree that subtleties should be respected and protected.

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This thread illustrates how regional classic seafood dishes are. Adding mayonnaise to ketchup results in what we on the West Coast call shrimp Louie. A cocktail sauce in comparison has only four ingredients: Ketchup with lemon juice, horseradish sauce, and Worcestershire to taste. And as in all things, YMMV.

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And hot sauce! And black pepper!

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And salt.

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Unless you’re a klutz and habitually over-Worcestershire. Not saying I know anyone like this, but…

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And I don’t know anyone who’d ever go overboard salting their food…

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Back in the day it was Heinz Chilli Sauce rather than ketchup. Not sure if that is still being made…