Classic Prawn Cocktail Recipe

Prepare lettuce

Discard any bruised outer leaves from the Baby Gem heads. Slice each head lengthwise into quarters, then rinse under cold water. Shake off excess water and spin or pat dry with kitchen paper. Chill in the fridge while you prepare the sauce.

Check and season prawns

If prawns are refrigerated and cold, leave them out for 5 minutes to take the chill off. Place prawns in a bowl, squeeze over the juice of half a lemon (reserve the wedge for serving), season lightly with 1 tsp sea salt and 1 tsp black pepper, then gently toss. Keep chilled until assembling.

Combine mayonnaise (150 g) and tomato ketchup (60 g) in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth.

Add 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp hot sauce, 1 tsp smoked paprika and 1 tsp caster sugar. Whisk to combine and taste.

Season the sauce with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Adjust balance: add more lemon for acidity, more sugar for sweetness, or more hot sauce for heat. Chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes to let flavours marry.

Portioning: for 4 servings, divide the chilled Baby Gem quarters between 4 wide shallow bowls or stemmed cocktail glasses (2–3 quarters per serving, fanned).

Sauce and prawns: Spoon about 2–3 tablespoons of Marie Rose sauce into each bowl to lightly coat the lettuce. Toss half the prawns with a small amount of sauce to coat them (reserve some sauce to dress the top).

Arrange the prawns attractively on top of the lettuce and add a drizzle or small dollop of the remaining Marie Rose sauce over the prawns.

Garnish each portion with a sprig of fresh dill, a lemon wedge on the side and a light crack of black pepper. Serve with toasted brown bread or soda farls on the side, if using.

Storage note: if not serving immediately, keep prawns and sauce chilled separately and assemble just before serving to preserve texture.