“All the best parties are mad hectic,” says Ben Shewry. “Especially those small-town cabarets I frequented as a teen. Yep all white jeans (hand me downs from Jen from next door), Bon Jovi and cocktail sauce-like gel hair.
“In the '80s nothing said party like a prawn cocktail. Come now, don’t be shy - we’ve all got a story about meeting Dave or Rach by the prawn cocktail bowl, eyes locking over a succulent crustacean. Oops, I dribbled the cocktail sauce, here let me clean that up for you with my napkin. Those were the days. And here they are again.”
Makes 4
4 iceberg lettuce cups
2 tbsp shredded iceberg lettuce
4 tbsp Chang’s fried noodles
4 sustainable farmed Australian prawns (check the Good Fish Guide app), cooked, shelled and sliced in half
A few drops of olive oil
Fresh lemon juice, to taste
Salt, to taste
Cocktail sauce
75g mayonnaise
50g tomato sauce
1 tbsp Frank’s hot sauce
A squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste
1. For the cocktail sauce, combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well combined. Cover and set aside in fridge until needed.
2. Use a small knife and a cup as a guide to cut round lettuce cups. Place a pinch of shredded lettuce on one side of each lettuce cup. On the other side, place a tablespoon of crisp noodles. Season prawns with salt and a few drops of lemon juice and olive oil. Place a prawn on each lettuce cup. Spoon a teaspoon (or more) of cocktail sauce over each prawn and serve.
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