Prawn cocktail
A classic prawn cocktail with crisp lettuce and a creamy sauce, finished with cayenne and thyme for an elegant starter or light lunch.
Updated : 09 February, 2026
Easy
About 20 min.
Ingredients
to taste
Lemon juice
to taste
Vinegar
20
King prawns
1
Lettuce
pinch
Cayenne pepper
For the sauce
0.5
Lemon
1 tablespoon
Worcestershire sauce
5 tablespoon
Ketchup
4 drop
Tabasco
2 pinch
Smoked paprika
0.5 teaspoon
Paprika
1 tablespoon
Heavy cream
4 tablespoon
Mayonnaise
1 pinch
Cayenne pepper
pinch
Salt
1 teaspoon
Ground black pepper
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and add a squeeze of lemon juice and a generous splash of vinegar. Add the whole prawns and cook just until they rise to the surface. Drain immediately and transfer to a bowl of ice-cold water to stop the cooking.
Step 2
Once completely cool, peel the prawns, keeping one whole prawn per serving aside for garnish.
Step 3
Cut the lettuces in half and place them in ice-cold water to crisp up.
Step 4
To make the sauce, combine all of the sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth and well blended.
Step 5
To assemble the prawn cocktails, drain the lettuce thoroughly and pat dry with kitchen paper, or spin dry in a salad spinner. Arrange about two-thirds of the lettuce leaves in martini glasses or small bowls.
Step 6
Finely shred the remaining lettuce leaves and place them in a mixing bowl. Add the peeled prawns and a spoonful of the sauce, gently tossing to coat. Spoon the mixture over the lettuce-lined glasses, top each with a whole unpeeled prawn, then finish with a light sprinkle of cayenne pepper and a few thyme leaves.
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