It may be a Seventies staple, but a well made ‘proper’ prawn cocktail is a lovely dish. A small portion makes a great starter, but today we turned it into a large sharing salad for supper with some crusty bread.
Today we made a slightly fancy version that we love, adding large king prawns, brandy and avocado to our base mix, and for a treat we recommend you try this. But it will be just as good – and cheaper – if you make it without these for a quick ‘everyday’ Simple Supper.
We use pre-cooked fresh prawns for ease. Shop around for these as you can get good quality ones quite cheaply – they are often on deals or matched to discounter pricing in supermarkets. Frozen prawns are also fine (though not much cheaper), but do make sure you thoroughly thaw them first. Today we used a combination of small peeled Atlantic prawns, which are the backbone of this dish and we personally prefer here, and king prawns, which add both texture and visual appeal, but are optional.
We also use a combination of light mayonnaise and 0% Greek yoghurt to make the dish healthier, but using all mayonnaise, or using regular mayo, works as well (we just find it a bit too rich for a main course version). Today as it was our main family meal, we amped the salad up with creamy avocado, which really does step up the flavour and texture but is optional if you are short on budget or time. We served with hot bake-at-home rolls – a great staple to keep in the freezer so you can always have fresh hot bread within minutes, and even the cheapest ones are generally very good.
Start by making the dressing. Add a few tablespoons of mayo to a bowl, plus some yoghurt. We find a ratio of 4 mayo to 1 yoghurt is about right. Add a generous tablespoon of tomato ketchup, and then add the flavourings. You definitely need a good shake of Worcester sauce in this dish, and we like to add a little red Tabasco too. Today we also added brandy (just a small splash) as we happened to have some left over from Christmas baking – it adds a lovely background warmth but is definitely optional. Stir well, taste, and then adjust with any of the dressing ingredients until you like the flavour. Today we also added a little salt. The sauce should be a pretty pale pink and tangy rather than sweet. The dressing is done!
Now add the prawns, retaining a few of the large ones (if using) to decorate at the end. Fold gently into the dressing. This is the basic prawn cocktail mix, and you could just serve on some shredded lettuce as it is for a really quick meal. If you make a slightly less wet version, it also makes a good sandwich filling, alone or with a little lettuce or cucumber. Reserve in the fridge until about 30 minutes before you need it.
Today we wanted to bolster our salad, so also added cucumber and avocado. We’d recommend both – cucumber adds crunch and colour, avocado adds richness and flavour. But you can leave either out if you want to simplify. First squeeze a lemon, and reserve the juice. Now prep the cucumber. Cut off the ends and halve. Remove the seeds using a teaspoon – draw this down the central core as we show below, they should come out very easily. Slice the cucumber into batons, then chop into bite sized pieces, and place in a bowl with about half the lemon juice.
Next prepare the avocado. Cut in half around the central stone. To remove the stone you can use a spoon to prise it out, but a good tip is to bash down hard on it with your kitchen knife, so the blade goes firmly in, then pull the blade out – the stone should come out with it (assuming your avocado is properly ripe!). Cut into wide slices with the skin on, then cut into the flesh with your knife to create cubes. Peel these from the skin into the bowl with the cucumber and lemon, folding the cubes into the lemon juice to coat as you go. Finally add more lemon, and stir gently but well. Retain in the fridge, again until about 30 minutes before you wish to serve.
Jake sticks his nose in
Cut avocados go discoloured and brown very quickly. The lemon juice will stop this happening. Make sure you coat all the pieces well in the juice.
Now shred the lettuce. What variety you use depends on personal preference. Iceberg is traditional, but today we used Little Gem as we find it less wet in texture and with a little more flavour. But Romaine, Cos or any crisp lettuce you like is fine. Remove any outer leaves that look discoloured or tough, then shred into strips down the width of the lettuce. Reserve in a bowl. We think chives are a nice addition for both flavour and appearance, so snip them with scissors if using. Heat your oven to the temperature shown on the packet and get your bread on a tray.
While the bread is baking, assemble the salad. Remember to get any ingredients out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before serving, or the cold will deaden the flavour. Drain a little of the juice from the avocado & cucumber (you don’t want the salad too wet) and toss with the lettuce. Place on a large serving plate and top with the prawn cocktail mix. Decorate with the reserved king prawns if using, then sprinkle over the chives. Get the bread out of the oven. We think a light dusting of cayenne pepper really works to finish up the salad, plus it looks great, but you can use black pepper or paprika.
Place in the centre of the table for everyone to help themselves. Enjoy!
