Prep Time

    •    Prep time: Less than 30 minutes
    •    Cook time: Less than 10 minutes
    •    Yield: Serves 4


Ingredients

    •    1 Little Gem lettuce
    •    malt vinegar, to taste
    •    Lemon juice, to taste
    •    cayenne pepper, to serve
    •    20 x raw tiger prawns, shells on
    •    1 sprig fresh thyme, leaves picked

For the sauce:

    •    pinch salt
    •    ½ tsp paprika
    •    ½ lemon, juice only
    •    4 tbsps mayonnaise
    •    1 tbsp double cream
    •    5 tbsps tomato ketchup
    •    1 pinch cayenne pepper
    •    few drops Tabasco sauce
    •    2 pinches smoked paprika
    •    1 tsp cracked black pepper
    •    1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Method

1. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add a squeeze of lemon and glug of vinegar. Add the whole prawns and cook until they rise to the surface. Drain and chill in ice-cold water.
   
   
2. Peel the cooled prawns, leaving one prawn whole per serving (for the garnish).
   
   
3. Cut the little Little Gem lettuce in half and place in ice-cold water to crisp it up.
   
   
4. For the sauce, mix all the sauce ingredients together.
   
   
5. To assemble the cocktails, drain the lettuce and pat dry with kitchen paper. Arrange two-thirds of the leaves in martini glasses or small bowls.
   
   
6. Shred the remaining leaves and add to a mixing bowl. Add the peeled prawns and spoonful of sauce. Top with the unpeeled prawn and a sprinkling of cayenne pepper.

This great family recipe is thanks to BBC Recipes at https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/prawn_cocktail_with_13755