THE PERFECT . . .

Prawn cocktail

Your cut-out-and-keep guide to the fundamentals of cooking

In my opinion, Dublin Bay prawns are the only prawns to use when making the perfect prawn cocktail. They give a succulent sweetness to the dish. The likes of tiger prawns are nice in stir fries, but they are too firm and meaty for prawn cocktail. Some people use the tiny Boston prawns, but they always come in frozen, so they taste of nothing but water. People are a bit nervous of cooking prawns, but it’s very easy. It’s very important not to overcook the prawns. Slightly overcooked prawns will be hard and rubbery, but seriously overcooked ones will be disgusting mush. In terms of the Marie Rose sauce, a home-made one will always be superior. My best advice is to taste it, and keep tasting it while you make it. Then you’ll be able to tell what flavours you want to emphasise or dial down. Some people like more lemon; some people like more heat. It’s best to avoid adding too much Worcestershire sauce, though, as it’s very bitter; or too much brandy, because it can be overwhelming. I use baby gem lettuce here because it has a nice crunch, but it won’t affect the flavour of your cocktail as strong rocket or chard might. The prawn must be the king of the dish. Serves 4, or this could make one large bowl for a buffet.

For the Marie Rose sauce, you will need:

100ml (3½fl oz) mayonnaise Zest of one lemon Juice of half a lemon 1 splash of Tabasco sauce 1 splash of Worcestershire sauce 2 pinches of smoked paprika 1 pinch of cayenne pepper Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 splash of brandy 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup 1 tablespoon creme fraiche

For the prawns, you will need:

24 large prawns 1 baby gem lettuce, shredded 8 vine tomatoes, sliced 1 lemon Cayenne pepper

Method:

To make the Marie Rose sauce, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, then put the sauce in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. To cook the prawns, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Pull the heads of the prawns apart from the tails; they will come apart easily. Put the prawn tails in the pot of boiling salted water, reduce the heat slightly and cook them for 6-7 minutes. Keep an eye on the pot. Once the prawn tails turn pink, they need to cook for about 90 seconds more. Remove the prawn tails from the pot and immediately cool them under a cold tap or in a bowl of iced water. Once they are cool, peel the prawn tails and, with a small sharp knife, remove the black vein down the back of each tail. Use Martini glasses to serve the prawn cocktails. First, put the shredded baby gem lettuce into the base of each glass, followed by a layer of the sliced tomatoes. Then add five prawns to each glass — reserve the remanining four to use as a garnish — and add a squeeze of the lemon juice. Top it all with the Marie Rose sauce you set aside earlier, then add a pinch of cayenne pepper over each and garnish with a whole prawn.

Jenny Flynn is head chef at Faithlegg House, Co Waterford, tel: (051) 382-000, or see faithlegg.com In conversation with Sarah Caden