Retro Prawn Cocktail Shooters (Print View)

Succulent prawns paired with a zesty homemade sauce, served stylishly in shooters for party-ready bites.

# What You'll Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 16 large cooked prawns, peeled and deveined with tails on

→ Cocktail Sauce

02 - 6 tablespoons ketchup
03 - 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
04 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
05 - 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
06 - 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (e.g., Tabasco)
07 - 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
08 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

09 - 1 small lemon, cut into wedges
10 - 1 tablespoon fresh chives or parsley, finely chopped
11 - Optional: lettuce leaves or microgreens for base

# How To Make It:

01 - In a small bowl, mix ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper until well combined. Adjust seasoning to taste.
02 - Refrigerate the cocktail sauce for at least 15 minutes to develop flavors.
03 - If desired, place a small piece of lettuce or a few microgreens at the bottom of each shot glass.
04 - Spoon approximately 1 tablespoon of cocktail sauce into each shot glass.
05 - Hang two prawns over the rim of each glass with tails outward for easy handling.
06 - Sprinkle fresh chives or parsley over the sauce and add a lemon wedge on the side of each glass.
07 - Serve immediately, keeping the shooters chilled until ready to enjoy.

# Expert Insights:

01 -
  • They look far more complicated than they actually are, which means you'll seem like a culinary genius with minimal effort.
  • The cocktail sauce has just enough heat and tang to make your taste buds wake up, without being aggressive about it.
  • You can prep everything ahead of time and assemble just before guests arrive, freeing you from kitchen duty when you should be mingling.
  • Each shooter is a perfect bite—elegant enough for a dinner party but casual enough for a casual gathering with friends.
02 -
  • Cold is your friend here—keep everything chilled until the moment of serving, or the prawns will start to look sad and the sauce will lose its appeal.
  • Make the sauce at least 30 minutes ahead if you can; rushed sauce tastes rushed, but sauce that's had time to marry tastes like you've been planning this dinner for weeks.
03 -
  • Buy the largest prawns you can find; they look more impressive on the rim and guests can actually taste them instead of just sauce.
  • If horseradish isn't your thing, a tiny pinch of wasabi or even Dijon mustard can replace it—the goal is something with backbone that stands up to the sweetness of ketchup.
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