Recipe – The Real Prawn Cocktail
This is the first of my new monthly recipes.
Created when I was invited to lunch with Crispy Chris at Cooks Barn Bottisham.
Having just cooked the main course of monkjack braised in gin & juniper (I should say at this point it was road kill, nice and cheap though! -Recipe next month) Crispy Chris dug some raw prawns out of the freezer then produced salad leaves and said this is all I have for a starter!!! to which I replied:
Mayonnaise ? No
Dressing? No
Dips of any sort? No
Tomato ketchup? a little
Worcestershire sauce ? a tiny bit
“I have got some Chillies though”
Double cream? Yes lots Whoopee
Dont forget I was supposed to be the guest, never mind there is no such thing as a free lunch, not for me anyway,
so I created for the first time The Real Prawn Cocktail and its been a winner ever since. HAPPY COOKING!
The Real Prawn Cocktail Recipe
Ingredients for 4 persons:
400g Prawns (raw/peeled)
30g Shallots – very finely chopped
1or 2 Small Birds Eye chilies - very finely chopped – to taste
5g Garlic – very finely chopped
1 shot Brandy
200ml White wine
400ml Double Cream
60g Unsalted Butter
Tabasco - to taste
Worcesteshire Sauce - to taste
Tomato Ketchup - to taste
Seasoning: Salt, Pepper, Cayenne, Lemon Juice
Crispy Salad Leaves
Method
- Add butter to a thick bottomed pan and brown lightly.
- Add shallots, garlic and chilies and sweat without colour for 1-2 minutes. Add prawns, saute for 1-2 minutes.
- Flambe with brandy.
- Drain prawns, then add cooking liqueur back to the pan, add white wine and reduce by half, add half of the double cream and reduce until thickened.
- Whip the remaining cream to soft peak consistency then place in the fridge.
- Add Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce and tomato ketchup to the reduced sauce.
- Allow to cool, fold in remaining whipped cream and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, cayenne and a little lemon juice (to taste).
- Dress salad in a glass, add the prawns and top with sauce.
Tags: Birds Eye, Braised, Chilies, Chillies, Chillis, Cocktail Recipe Ingredients, Flambe, Free Lunch, King Prawns, Leaves, Lemon Juice, Liqueur, Little Lemon, Prawn Cocktail, Prawn Cocktail Recipe, Prawns, Recipes, Salad Leaves, Salt Pepper, Seasoning Salt, Shot Brandy, Small Birds, Tomato Ketchup, Unsalted Butter, Whipped Cream, White Wine, Worcestershire Sauce
January 23rd, 2010 at 7:02 pm
Nice article chef. The recipe is so simple even I could do it. What about the black stuff in the photo – could it be caviare?
January 23rd, 2010 at 7:05 pm
How do I sign up to be emailed when you do a new post?
January 23rd, 2010 at 7:31 pm
I love this!! So much more than just a few prawns mixed up in a bit of Marie Rose sauce. Definitely going to have to get the other half to make it.
January 23rd, 2010 at 7:44 pm
The one thing you can always guarantee Chris will have is chillies!
I love the idea of making great food with what you have in the cupboard. Is knowing what flavours go with what just a question of experience or is there an art or science to it David?
January 23rd, 2010 at 8:13 pm
I have just spoken with Ian McKendrick and he is going to install a plugin for me that will do this.
Glad you like the recipe Chris, let me know of any recipes you would like to see on my SuperBlog and I’ll write them up for you. HAPPY COOKING!
January 24th, 2010 at 2:55 pm
Thank you for your visit, chillies can be very challenging when there’s not much else in the cupboard. Chris would be very popular on Ready Steady Cook!
HAPPY COOKING!
January 24th, 2010 at 3:14 pm
Thank you for your kind remarks, the trick is to only just cook the prawns, something you have no control over when you buy them ready prepared. If you really want to rock buy them whole in the shell heads on then after cooking peel them using the shells to make the sauce. HAPPY COOKING!
January 24th, 2010 at 3:30 pm
Onuga is a much cheaper substitute to sturgeon eggs and is readily available at supermarkets however should you wish to use Sevruga I will be available for the tasting. HAPPY COOKING!
January 24th, 2010 at 4:40 pm
Sorry Ann I didn’t answer your question! experience yes, you only have to watch the chefs on ready steady cook to see their brains ticking boxes, as for art and science I call it gut feeling. HAPPY COOKING.