Starters – Appetizers
Shrimp –Vs–Prawns
Now here is a fun quandary:-Is it a Shrimp Or Is it a Prawn
Please do not ask for shrimp in Britain. You will get the smallest little pink curled up things that you have ever seen. I mean little tiny pink shrimps that are not even the size of an American salad shrimp. The best shrimp come from Morecambe Bay (a seaside town in the north west of England) and are know as, guess what, Morecambe Bay Shrimp. In British cookery these are a delicacy served as potted shrimp, an excellent dish for an appetizer or starter spread on toast or crackers. Another use for shrimp is to add to rice dishes. Prawns though area completely different matter, big and juicy, similar to American shrimps.
One way to cut the cost of making a British prawn cocktail is to mix shrimps with the prawns before pouring over the sauce. They truly are very, very expensive; a treat served on special occasions such as birth, deaths, marriages, birthdays and Christmas parties. I always feel sorry for the deceased person at a funeral, missing out on a beautiful prawn cocktail.
You will still get a choice of size of your prawns in Britain but they will not be count size as in America. You have to buy them by the half-pound (8oz) or pound (16oz). A point here: an English pint is 20oz. I think that is why Americans can not take our Pints of BEER!
Compare the difference in our two recipes. It is quite amazing that they are in principle called the same thing. Britain uses Creamy Cocktails Sauce and America uses Spicy Tomato Sauce – I have the recipes for both. Try both recipes for a great bonus to add to your culinary repartee. I don’t say one is better than the other, both are excellent just different.
Please do not leave it too long; you do not want to make your first for a funeral!
Great British Prawn Cocktail
For the Sauce
- 4 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise made with free-range eggs
- 2 tablespoons tomato ketchup (Heinz)
- 1 lime, juice and Lime wedges to serve or Lemon if you prefer. Both work
- A few drops of Tabasco or chilli sauce
- 1 splash Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons Salad Cream
- Pinch Salt and white pepper
For the Salad
- 500 grams / 16oz Atlantic Prawns fresh or defrosted
- 4 large Crevettes for decoration (Large Prawns shell on)
- A shredded Lettuce
- Chopped tomatoes
- 1/2 a finely chopped cucumber
- 4 finely chopped spring onions
- Sweet Paprika
Mix all the sauce ingredients together leave in the fridge to marry together
- 1 cup tomato ketchup (Heinz )
- 2 1/2 tablespoons of prepared horseradish
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- Lime wedges to serve
- Pinch salt and white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco or chilli sauce
- Dash of Worcestershire Sauce
Shrimp
2lbs Large Shrimp (16 to 18 count)
Mix to combine ketchup, horseradish, lime juice, Tabasco, dash of Wostershire, salt, and pepper Leave in the fridge to marry.
Arrange all the shrimp around the edge of a chilled bowl .
Pour the cocktail sauce in the middle
Serve with lime wedges
Enjoy x x x 🐟
cinders54 