Spicy Prawn Cocktail with Marie Rose Sauce

Spicy prawn cocktail is a classic starter dish in which juicy prawns are tossed in pink Marie Rose sauce with an added punch. A classic 80’s starter dish that never goes out of style. You can serve it as a starter like bang bang shrimp, or as salad, or along with any main dish. 

Update: Originally posted in Dec 2020, republished with new photos and added video to the post.

Jump to:

• 80’s retro starter that never goes out of fashion
• Prawn cocktail ingredients
• Ways to cook prawns for cocktail
• Step by step pictorial
• How to serve prawn cocktail
• Useful tips
• Variation ideas
• Recipe FAQs
• More prawn recipes worth trying
• 📋Spicy Prawn Cocktail

80’s retro starter that never goes out of fashion

Prawn(or shrimp) cocktail is a timeless classic is easily one of the most-favorite dish from kids to adults. A no-hassle recipe that you can make for any cocktail party or simply for the love of seafood.

This 80’s style starter does not get old even today. Plump, juicy prawns tossed in classic rose Marie is very easy to make and guaranteed to wow your guests!

The secret is to use fresh prawns for the best taste. Frozen prawns when defrosted, turns watery and tasteless. The texture of defrosted prawns isn’t great either.

This sauce reminds me of my favorite dipping sauce boom boom sauce and bang bang sauce, but this sauce has its flavor elevated. Simple classic Marie Roses sauce is a creamy sauce that is a simple blend of mayonnaise, tomato sauce, and other optional seasoning like a dash of salt, ground pepper, hot sauce, a pinch of cayenne pepper, and a little horseradish if you wish to add to the flavor.

Serving prawn cocktails has to be done the right way. Serve it in elegant glassware or make lettuce cups and serve it in individual portions. 

Prawn cocktail ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need –

For Marie Rose sauce –

Ingredients notes-

1. Prawns – the better and fresher the prawn is, the tastier this cocktail starter will be. Use the biggest king-size raw prawns for this recipe. Tiny prawns are fussy to pick and eat. The secret is to use fresh prawns for the best taste. Frozen prawns when defrosted, turns watery and tasteless. The texture of defrosted prawns isn’t great either. I used peeled, deveined raw prawns with tail-on and freshly cooked it. You can choose to keep the head on if you don’t mind eating prawn heads.
2. Water, salt, peppercorns, and bay leaf – to cook peeled freshly cooked prawns. Prawns can be cooked two ways, by blanching in water or sautéing in a pan with olive oil. Choose your option. Raw prawns can be blanched in just water, but I’d like to prawn to soak a little flavor instead of being bland. Season boiling water with a generous amount of salt, whole black peppercorns, and a bay leaf.
3. Lettuce – any variety of fresh lettuce can be used. Iceberg lettuce, Romaine lettuce works great. It adds nice crunch base with peppery taste that helps balance the rich creamy mayo sauce in which prawns are tossed.
4. Lime – or lemon. Lime or lemon wedges are used for serving. A fresh squeeze of lime juice helps balance flavor and enhances the taste.

Marie Rose sauce

1. Mayonnaise – use regular full-fat whole egg mayonnaise for the best taste.
2. Ketchup – tomato ketchup adds a slight tangy taste to mayonnaise that helps cut some of its creamy rich taste.
3. Hot sauce – you may use any type of hot sauce like Tabasco sauce, sriracha sauce, or Asian chili sauce. Hot sauce adds flavor and a mild kick to the sauce.
4. Worcestershire sauce – enhances the flavor of Marie Rose sauce.
5. Salt & pepper – season to taste.
6. Cayenne pepper – add a spicy kick to the sauce. Heat in mayo-based sauce tastes wonderful.
7. Horseradish – flavor enhancer. I skipped this time, but I usually add it when I can get my hands of fresh horseradish root. Peel brown skin off and shred or grate it and use it.

Ingredients additions

You may add little freshly squeezed lemon juice to the sauce to brighten the flavors.

Add extra layers to the prawn cocktail by adding any one, or mix or all of these-

• diced mango,
• cubes of avocado,
• diced cucumber,
• dill pickled,
• finely chopped gherkins,
• cherry tomatoes,
• sautéed red bell peppers,
• artichokes, and fresh dill

over the lettuce bed and top it with cocktail prawns.

Ways to cook prawns for cocktail

Some supermarkets sell cooked(boiled prawns). Feel free to pick those if they look fresh and the best in quality. Prawn cocktail dish taste entirely depends on the quality of the prawns.

Alternatively, you can easily boil or cook prawns on your own. Doesn’t take much time.

Method 1 (traditional way)

Boil 3 quarts of water in large pot. Flavor water with a bay leave, few whole black peppercorns along with salt. Wait until water is rapid boiling, add prawns (shelled or with shells but remember to devein the prawns) to the boiling water. 

Cook until pink and slightly firm to touch. It should take about 3 to 4 minutes.  Drain prawns immediately and cool completely. 

Method 2

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet. Place prawns/shrimps on skillet and cook on low flame for 2-3 minutes. Flip prawns once they curl up and turn pink. Cook on the other side for a minute or 2. Do not brown prawns. They should be pink (just cooked).

Step by step pictorial

How to serve prawn cocktail

As a classic tale goes, due to ban on alcoholic drinks in 1920, restaurants used the obsolete stemmed glassware like martini glass and wine glass and filled them up with prawn cocktail padded on crunchy lettuce.

Keeping the tradition I served this ultimate retro starter in martini glasses. Fill the martini or wine glass (or any other glassware) with lettuce leaves and serve cocktail sauce dolled prawns on top with lime (or lemon) wedges on the sides.

Alternatively you can use iceberg lettuce cups and serve prawns in them.

Useful tips

1. The secret is to use fresh prawns for the best taste. Frozen prawns when defrosted, turn watery and tasteless.
2. Use the biggest king-size raw prawns for this recipe. You don’t want to be searching for tiny prawns through the sauce.
3. Don’t overcook prawns. Nothing worse than rubbery overcooked prawns.
4. If you choose to use whole prawns with shells, devein the prawns before cooking. It’s so hard to devein it after it’s cooked.
5. Before tossing cooked prawns in sauce cool it completely.
6. Cooked prawns and cocktail rose Marie sauce can be made ahead and stored separately in the refrigerator for about 24 hours. Toss prawns in sauce only before serving.

Variation ideas

You may add little freshly squeezed lemon juice to the sauce to brighten the flavors.

Add extra layers to the prawn cocktail by adding any one, or mix or all of these-

• diced mango,
• cubes of avocado,
• diced cucumber,
• dill pickled,
• finely chopped gherkins,
• cherry tomatoes,
• sautéed red bell peppers,
• artichokes, and fresh dill

over the lettuce bed and top it with cocktail prawns.

Recipe FAQs

More prawn recipes worth trying