International dishesSaladsUnited Statesabout 30 minutes
Restaurant style shrimp cocktail salad arranges firm boiled prawns around the rim of the glass, with fresh fruit and crisp lettuce in the middle under a tangy pink sauce.
The hardest part is boiling the prawns to the right point, because a few dozen seconds too long turns the meat mealy. Lifting the prawns straight into cold water is the core trick, as it keeps the meat firm and snappy. A common mistake is dressing the salad too early, when the lettuce releases water and the whole glass goes soggy.
This batch weighs about 1.1kg, at roughly 49 calories per 100g.
Method
Rinse 1 strawberry and cut it into small wedges. Pull 3 grapes off the stem, rinse them, halve them and remove the seeds. Rinse 1 apple, take out the stem and core, cut it into slices about half a finger thick, then dice. Peel 1 orange and separate out the flesh.
Rinse 1 cherry tomato and slice it thinly. Rinse 2 stalks of leek and 2 stalks of celery, then slice them thinly. Rinse 20g green curly lettuce, 20g red cabbage and 20g lettuce, trim the stems and tear into bite sized pieces.
Stir 1 teaspoon of salt into a bowl of water, soak 80g black tiger prawns for 5 to 10 minutes, rinse them several times and drain.
Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the celery and leek, then boil the prawns for about 5 minutes until they turn pale orange.
Lift the prawns straight into cold water to firm up, then remove the heads and shells, keeping the tails on for presentation.
Make the sauce: mix 1 tablespoon Lean Mayo, 1 tablespoon ketchup, 1/2 teaspoon hot red chili sauce, 1/2 teaspoon orange liqueur and 1/2 teaspoon Cognac in a bowl and whisk until smooth.
Lay the lettuce leaves on a plate, arrange the fruit over them in alternating pieces, top with the prawns, then spoon the sauce across the salad and toss gently.
Serve in glasses, arranging the prawns around the rim with the tails pointing outward.
Tips
Soaking the prawns in lightly salted water and rinsing them several times leaves the meat clean and free of any off smell.
A few stalks of celery and leek in the boiling water make the prawns noticeably more fragrant.
Lifting the prawns straight into cold water firms the meat and makes them easy to peel.
Both spirits are used in tiny amounts for aroma, and they can be left out or swapped for a few drops of orange juice.
Spoon the sauce over only just before serving, so the greens and fruit stay crisp.
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The recipe above uses kOBE Lean Mayo for the richness. See the product page or send us a message.