Last weekend, it was National Prawn Day. At long last, this plucky little crustacean gets its moment in the limelight! In honour of this most momentous day, I thought I’d share my recipe for prawn cocktails. I’m not sure this is exactly what prawns had in mind to honour their big day, but we all have our unique ways of celebrating, and this is mine.
Prawn cocktails are super easy to make and always make a splash when entertaining guests. I like to start off with prawns as an entrée and keep the fish for the main meal. I tend to go for smaller species of prawns like the king prawn which are a little sweeter. Farmed king prawns from Queensland or wild caught from Spenser Gulf are also great sustainable options.
Step 1. It's easiest to buy prawns already cooked, but if you buy them raw, always cook and wash them in salty water. After you peel the prawn, I like to give them one last dunk in salt water.
Step 2. Grab 6-8 of your fanciest glasses. Martini glasses are great but anything that has a wide lip and looks exciting will do.
Step 3. To prepare the sauce, mix half a cup of mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon of tomato sauce, and 1 teaspoon of wasabi together in a bowl until it reaches a single consistency.
Step 4. Slice cucumbers diagonally and add two slices to the glass.
Step 5. Add 2 heaped tablespoons of the sauce to the middle of the glass.
Step 6. Layer the prawns around the edge of the glass with the tails hanging over the lip.
Step 7. Grab a sheet of nori seaweed and finely chop this as garnish. Sprinkle on top of the sauce in the middle of the glass. If you don’t have nori you can use chopped parsley or dill.
Step 8. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve cold. For picky guests, I prepare a small bowl of water with slices of lemon in it to help wash the prawn grease of the fingers!
Enjoy.