Grilled Prawn Cocktail – Darren Purchase

This prawn cocktail recipe might feature in Darren’s Christmas book, but we think its perfect all year round!

This kitsch salad has made more comebacks than John Farnham… but in a good way! I have added lime, chilli and coriander as I love those flavours, so it’s not a traditional prawn cocktail per se. Serve this as part of a shared table of dishes or plated individually.

Serves: 8 as part of a shared table

Prep time 15 minutes (plus minimum 4 hours marinating)

Cook time 15 minutes

Christmas timeline

Marinate the prawns the day prior and prep all the other elements of the salad, except for slicing the avocado. The prawns take no time to cook to order, and the salad is easy to arrange just before serving.

1 bunch coriander
24 raw king prawns, heads removed, peeled and deveined
80 ml olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
2 red bird’s eye chillies, chopped with seeds
2 garlic cloves, finely grated with a microplane
finely grated zest of 1 lime salt flakes
250 g cherry tomatoes
freshly ground black pepper
1 baby cos lettuce, leaves removed, torn into large pieces
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
3 spring onions, peeled and thinly sliced diagonally

Cocktail sauce (page 2), to serve

Cocktail sauce. Makes 450 g

3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons warm water
pinch of salt flakes
250 ml light olive oil
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons sriracha sauce or hot chilli sauce
1 teaspoon grated fresh horseradish or store-bought horseradish cream
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon brandy

For the grilled prawns

Pick the coriander leaves and wash well. Dry them using a salad spinner or pat dry with paper towel. Cut the stalks just above the roots and discard the roots. Wash the stalks and finely chop them. Reserve the leaves in the fridge.

Put the prawns in a bowl with the oil, chilli, garlic, half of the lime zest, chopped coriander stalks and 2 teaspoons salt flakes. Mix well and leave to marinate for a minimum of 4 hours, or overnight to really get all those flavours in there.

Preheat the oven to 150°C. Cut the tomatoes in half and place them on a baking tray, cut side up. Drizzle some olive oil over the top and season with salt and pepper. Put the tomatoes in the oven for 10 minutes to soften, then remove and set aside at room temperature.

Heat a barbecue hotplate or preheat a grill to high. Cook the prawns on the hot barbecue for 3 minutes, then turn them over and cook for a further 2–3 minutes. Slight charring and a just-cooked prawn is great – overcooking, not so great. Transfer the prawns to a plate. Now work on the salad.

For the cocktail sauce

Combine the egg yolks, lemon juice, warm water and salt in a tall, narrow measuring jug. Process well using a hand-held blender.

Continue to blend while you add a tablespoon of oil to the jug. Mix until it emulsifies, then slowly trickle in the remaining oil. Continue to blend in an up and down motion until you have mayonnaise. Add the remaining ingredients and blend well.

Cover and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Download Printable Recipe