The ingredients, minus the mayonnaise, which was in the fridge (Image: Express)
When I was growing up, my mum taught me how to make Marie Rose sauce – ketchup, mayonnaise, lemon and black pepper.
Every Christmas, when I was younger, it was the simple sauce I was in charge of to serve drizzled onto the prawns for our Christmassy starter.
This year, I came across John Torode’s Marie Rose sauce, which had a lot more additions – but was it worth the extra effort? And will I be making it at Christmas?
In my opinion – no, it wasn’t, and the classic way I make it tastes just as good (to me) – but I may be stealing one addition, the cayenne pepper sprinkling.
Here’s how to recreate John Torode’s Christmassy prawn cocktail Marie Rose sauce.
Don’t miss… [RECIPE] [TIPS]
The prrawn cocktail I made with John Torode’s recipe (Image: Express)
Prawn cocktail
Serves: four people
Ingredients
Lemon juice, to taste
Malt vinegar, to taste
20 x raw tiger prawns, shells on
One little Gem lettuce
One sprig of fresh thyme, leaves picked
Cayenne pepper, to serve
For the sauce
Half a lemon, juice only
One tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Five tbsp tomato ketchup
Few drops Tabasco sauce
Two pinches smoked paprika
Half a tsp paprika
One tbsp double cream
Four tbsp mayonnaise
One pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of salt
One tsp cracked black pepper
I skipped the cooking part and basted the prawns in lemon and malt vinegar (Image: Express)
Method
1. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add a squeeze of lemon and glug of vinegar. Add the whole prawns and cook until they rise to the surface. Drain and chill in ice-cold water. Peel the cooled prawns, leaving one prawn whole per serving (for the garnish).
I skipped this step by buying store-bought cooked and peeled prawns, but perhaps this would be a good touch for a fresher taste.
2. Cut the lettuce in half and place in ice-cold water to crisp it up.
For the sauce
3. Mix all the sauce ingredients together
To assemble the cocktails
4. Drain the lettuce and pat dry with kitchen paper. Arrange two-thirds of the leaves in martini glasses or small bowls.
5. Shred the remaining leaves and add to a mixing bowl. Add the peeled prawns and spoonful of sauce. Top with the unpeeled prawn and a sprinkling of cayenne pepper.