Retro brandied shrimp cocktail lettuce cups
Who can resist the fabulously retro Marie Rose seafood cocktail sauce? I recently started making it again, and the reaction from my guests is always so positive – big smiles, tales to relate from the 1980s, empty plates. I add a generous splash of brandy which gives it a little more depth of flavour and a playful, festive edge. The sauce isn’t only good on shrimp or prawns, but on almost any seafood and even chicken or pork. The cocktail mixture makes a great sandwich filling too.
Serves 4–6 (as a snack) Preparation time 10 minutes Cooking time 2 minutes
YOU NEED
• ½ cup (125 ml) good quality mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) tomato sauce (preferably All Gold)
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) brandy
• ½ teaspoon (2,5 ml) smoked paprika, plus extra for serving
• 250 g shrimp meat, thawed if frozen, peeled and deveigned
• 1–2 celery stalks, finely chopped
• a small bunch fresh chives, finely chopped
• 2 heads baby gem lettuce, leaves separated and rinsed
THIS IS HOW
Make the Marie Rose sauce Add the mayonnaise, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, brandy and smoked paprika to a small mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper, mix well and set aside.
Add a little water (about 1 cm deep) to a pot and bring to a simmer with a pinch of salt. Add the shrimp, cover with a lid and cook for about 2 minutes until just cooked and opaque. Remove from the heat and drain the water, running the shrimp under cool water to stop the cooking process.
Transfer to a clean tea towel to drain any excess water (blot from the top too), then leave to cool for a few minutes.
To a medium mixing bowl, add the cooked drained shrimp, the prepared sauce, chopped celery and half the chives, then mix well.
Refrigerate this mixture until you are ready to serve.
To serve, arrange the lettuce leaves on a serving plate, then scoop 1–2 tablespoons of the cocktail mixture into each lettuce “cup”. Top with chopped chives and a light sprinkle of smoked paprika. Serve immediately.