Classic Prawn Cocktail

A glass with prawn cocktail and a slice of lemon.

5 from 1 vote

Classic Prawn Cocktail with a crunchy gem lettuce base and cooked king prawns smothered in a prawn cocktail 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.

Prep Time5

Total Time5

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: International

Servings: people

Calories: 275kcal

Author: Daniela Apostol

Ingredients

200 g cooked king prawns
3 tablespoon mayonnaise
3 tablespoon ketchup
2 drops tabasco
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 pinch paprika
1 gem lettuce

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Chop the gem lettuce roughly, and divide it between 2 serving cups.
In a bowl, combine the mayo, ketchup, lemon zest and tabasco, and mix well to get a smooth sauce.
Add the cooked prawns and mix well to coat them in the sauce.
Divide the prawns between the 2 cups and sprinkle a bit of paprika over.
Serve cold.

Notes

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 cocktail 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.

Nutrition