Prawn cocktail

Recipe

Fresh cooked prawns, dipped in a Marie-rose sauce, on top of crunchy iceberg lettuce - an oldie but a goodie! If you ever see amazingly fresh and vibrant cooked prawns this is the only recipe you need.

For some people this is the most heavenly of prawn dishes ever. Seafood even. It is that good. (Yes Kyla Davies I am talking to you).

It has that wow factor of a luxurious, seafood first course. And can easily be doubled, tripled etc. Knowing you can prepare it mostly in advance makes it a great party starter for any number of guests.

You can buy peeled prawns now if in a rush, which makes this super quick too!

Serves 4. GF. DF.

Pictured: Prawn Cocktail

150g – approx. ¼ of an iceberg lettuce, outer leaves and core removed, finely shredded

½ lemon, plus 4 extra wedges to serve

1 ripe avocado, thinly sliced

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

16 – 20 large, cooked king prawns, peeled, tails intact and intestinal tracts removed

Cocktail sauce

140ml thick good-quality mayonnaise

1 tbsp tomato sauce

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Dash of Tabasco sauce

A squeeze of lemon juice to taste

Prepare the prawns first so they are ready to go and keep in the fridge til needed.

Then prepare the sauce - combine all the ingredients with a whisk until smooth, season to taste with sea salt and ground black pepper. Add an extra splash of lemon or Worcestershire etc depending how tangy or punchy you like it – I think it needs to be creamy, with a hint of lemon and nice kick to it.

Divide lettuce among 4 bowls or plates – you could even serve this in beautiful large martini glasses for a decadent look.

Top with the avocado, then the prawns, and generously pour over the sauce- serve with lemon wedges on the table.

You can sprinkle with a little paprika for an extra touch too.