Ingredients
- 500 g (1 pound) cooked shell-on Atlantic prawns (about 300g (10 ½ ounces) peeled weight)
- 1 large or 2 small Little Gem lettuces (baby romaine)
- 8 cherry tomatoes
- 1 lemon (in 4 wedges)
- 4 small sprigs fresh dill
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 4 slices whole wheat (wholemeal) bread
- 4 teaspoons salted butter, softened
For the Sauce
- 5 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons tomato chutney/tomato concentrate
- 1 teaspoon creamed horseradish
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice, fresh is best
- A few drops Tabasco sauce (to taste)
- Salt and black pepper (to taste)
Method
- Peel the prawns, leaving 8 in their shells for serving.
- Trim the lettuce and separate the leaves. Shred some of the smaller leaves and divide them between 4 cocktail glasses or small serving dishes.
- Arrange the peeled prawns over the lettuce.
- Mix the mayonnaise, tomato chutney, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and Tabasco. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Spoon the sauce over the prawns and sprinkle with paprika.
- Add 2 cherry tomatoes, a lemon wedge and a dill sprig to each serving.
- Butter the bread and cut each slice in half.
- Serve each prawn cocktail with the buttered bread and 2 shell-on prawns.
Notes
- Thaw frozen prawns in the refrigerator, then drain them well and pat them dry before assembling the dish.
- Don’t thaw prawns in warm water, as this can affect their texture.
- Add the sauce shortly before serving so the lettuce doesn’t soften.
- The sauce can be prepared up to a day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator.
- Leave out the Tabasco for a milder sauce or add a little more for extra heat.
- Ketchup can replace the tomato chutney or tomato concentrate (known as tomato puree or paste in UK) for a more traditional Marie Rose sauce.