Prawn cocktail with a tarragon mayonnaise is a simple starter that can be prepared and layered up in minutes. To the salad base of lettuce, tomato and avocado, I add juicy king prawns that have been coated in a tarragon and lemon mayonnaise.
As much as I love a classic prawn cocktail with Marie Rose sauce (or shrimp cocktail as it is also known), what I've created here is a prawn cocktail recipe with a twist.
In my alternative prawn cocktail I coat the king prawns in a homemade tarragon and lemon mayonnaise. Tarragon has a wonderful aniseed flavour and the sharp citrus burst from the lemon, both pair really well with the juicy king prawns.
For the best results I do recommend making your own homemade tarragon mayonnaise as it will make a difference to the finished dish.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Super simple to prepare this is less cooking, more of an assembly job.
- Packed with flavour as the aniseed flavour from the tarragon and the fresh citrus burst from the lemon pair really well with the fresh juicy prawns.
- Gluten free and dairy free starter that everyone can enjoy.
Recipe ingredients
- Lettuce - I always go for a lettuce with plenty crunch. I've used a gem lettuce, but you could also use iceberg lettuce here.
- Avocado - avocado is full of good oils and fats, and adds a lovely creaminess to the salad,
- Tomato - you can use any variety of tomato, although I do prefer to use cherry tomatoes or baby plum tomatoes as they have a lovely sweet flavour which works well with the prawns.
- Lemon - I use fresh lemon as it has the best flavour, adding it both to the salad and also serving a fresh wedge with the prawn cocktail.
- Salt - I like to add just a sprinkle of sea salt to the salad base before adding the prawns. Don't be too heavy handed.
- Prawns (shrimp) - I've opted to use peeled & deveined jumbo king prawns in this recipe. However, you can use any size of prawn, whatever your preference.
- Mayonnaise - For the best flavour, I've coated the prawns in my homemade tarragon mayonnaise. You can use this recipe, or if pushed for time, mix 4 tablespoons of your favourite store bought mayonnaise with 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped tarragon.
How to make Prawn Cocktail with Tarragon Mayonnaise
- Divide the shredded lettuce between each of the serving dishes, then top with equal quantities of the avocado and tomato.
- Squeeze a wedge of lemon over each of the dishes and add a sprinkle of salt.
- Place the king prawns into a bowl along with the tarragon mayonnaise. Stir together to coat the prawns in the mayonnaise.
- Divide the tarragon prawns between each of the bowls and serve with the remaining wedges of fresh lemon.
Recipe variations
- Prawns - I've opted to use cooked jumbo king prawns, but feel free to use any size of prawns. I have also used both fresh and frozen cooked prawns. If using frozen prawns, defrost them first in the fridge, then drain off any excess water before coating in the tarragon mayonnaise.
- NOTE: If using raw prawns you will have to cook them first before adding them to the mayonnaise.
- Herbs - I've used a fresh tarragon mayonnaise, but you could swap tarragon for parsley, dill or basil as all these herbs work well with seafood.
- Other Seafood - the tarragon mayonnaise is also great served with other types of seafood. If you don't like prawns, try serving the mayonnaise with some poached or hot smoked salmon fillet.
Serving suggestions
Prawn cocktail makes a great appetizer or dinner starter. I serve it with a wedge of fresh lemon so that everyone can add a extra burst of citrus flavour if they wish. If I was serving anything else alongside, it would be some crusty bread and butter.
You can also use this recipe to make a great tasting prawn salad. Just increase the amount of salad vegetables, adding extras like some chopped cucumber, celery and radish to the salad bowl.
Useful hints and tips
- Tarragon mayonnaise: for the best flavour I do recommend making your own tarragon mayonnaise. Making homemade mayo from scratch is a lot easier than you might think and tastes far superior to store bought mayo.
- Get ahead and prepare the salad items, prawns and tarragon mayonnaise ahead of time and store in individual containers in the fridge until ready to serve. However, I recommend assembling the prawn cocktail just before serving, otherwise the juices from the prawn can cause the mayonnaise to loosen and become watery.
- Allergy advice: gluten free, dairy free, soya free and nut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.
FAQs
Prawn cocktail is a retro appetiser, popular both sides of the Atlantic from the 1960's to the 1980's. Where here in the UK we would call it prawn cocktail, in the US it would be called a shrimp cocktail.
Prawn cocktail is an appetizer that is best enjoyed freshly made, or within 2 hours of being made. However, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days. For food safety and freshness, I don't recommend eating it past 2 days.
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Additional recipe suggestions
If you like this recipe then try some of my favourite seafood starter recipes:
- Scallops with Pea Puree & Butter Sauce
- Scallops with Celeriac & Bacon
- Smoked Mackerel Pate
- Beetroot Cured Salmon
- Smoked Mackerel & Beetroot Salad
Prawn Cocktail with Tarragon Mayonnaise
Equipment
- Medium mixing bowl
- measuring spoons
- chopping board
- Sharp kitchen knife
- 2 serving glasses or dishes
Ingredients
- ½ gem lettuce (washed and shredded)
- 1 avocado (chopped)
- 10 cherry tomatoes (quartered)
- 1 fresh lemon (quartered)
- pinch sea salt
- 150 g peeled & deveined jumbo king prawns
- 4 tablespoon tarragon mayonnaise (or mix 4 tablespoons of store bought mayonnaise with 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped tarragon)
Instructions
- Divide the shredded lettuce between each of the serving dishes, then top with equal quantities of the avocado and tomato.
- Squeeze a wedge of lemon over each of the dishes and add a sprinkle of salt.
- Place the king prawns into a bowl along with the tarragon mayonnaise. Stir together to coat the prawns in the mayonnaise.
- Divide the tarragon prawns between each of the bowls and serve with the remaining wedges of fresh lemon.
• Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only •
Hazel says
I absolutely adore prawn cocktail, but only if it's done properly. Your recipe was just perfect with the avocado and the tarragon mayonnaise - so delicious.
Lesley says
Me too Hazel, we all love prawn cocktail and the tarragon and lemon mayo is a nice change.