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Ingredients
Method
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If using frozen prawns, place them in a colander the night before and let them defrost slowly in the fridge. Do not defrost in warm water. Once defrosted, spread them on a clean kitchen towel or several layers of kitchen paper and press gently to remove as much moisture as possible. Wet prawns will water down the sauce within minutes of serving.
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Check each prawn individually. Remove any remaining shell fragments, particularly around the tail joint, and check that the digestive tract has been fully removed. If you see a dark line running along the back, score it lightly with a small knife and lift it out. Rinse the prawns briefly under cold water, then pat completely dry again.
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In a medium mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, hot sauce, and creamed horseradish. Whisk together until fully combined and the colour is an even salmon-pink with no streaks of unmixed ketchup. Taste it at this point. It should have a clear tomato sharpness, a low heat that builds slowly at the back of the throat, and enough acidity to cut through the fat of the mayonnaise. Adjust with more lemon juice or hot sauce as needed. Season with the cayenne, salt, and white pepper.
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Add the dried prawns to the bowl and fold them through the sauce using a spatula, turning gently so every prawn is coated without breaking them apart. Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes. This short rest lets the sauce cling properly and the flavours settle.
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While the prawns rest, prepare the serving glasses or plates. For glasses, place a layer of finely shredded iceberg lettuce in the base, about 3 to 4 centimetres deep. For flat plates, arrange the lettuce in a loose mound off-centre. The lettuce must be dry. Wet lettuce collapses under the weight of the prawns and makes the base soggy before the dish reaches the table.
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Lay the cucumber half-slices around the inside rim of each glass, or scatter them beside the lettuce on flat plates. Spoon the dressed prawns over the lettuce, dividing them evenly. Do not mound them too high or the sauce will slide off the lettuce and pool at the base.
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Scatter the sliced spring onions over the top, dust lightly with sweet paprika, and finish with the chopped parsley. Place a lemon wedge on the side. Serve immediately while the lettuce still has bite.
Irish Context
Atlantic prawns, or Dublin Bay prawns when you can get them whole, are landed all around the Irish coast, and the cooked, peeled variety has been a staple in Irish fishmongers and supermarket fish counters for decades. The cocktail sauce format arrived here from Britain in the 1970s and settled in, appearing at Christmas, Easter, and any occasion where a first course was expected without requiring the kitchen to produce something hot.
The prawns used in most Irish households are Norwegian or North Atlantic cooked prawns bought frozen in 400g or 500g bags, and they are perfectly suited to this preparation provided they are handled correctly after defrosting.
Tips
The single biggest mistake with this dish is using wet prawns. Even five minutes of sitting in surface moisture turns the sauce thin and grey-looking.
Dry them twice if you have to. Homemade mayonnaise improves the sauce noticeably if you have the time, but a full-fat shop-bought mayo works well.
Low-fat versions split slightly when mixed with the ketchup and give a watery, pale result. Creamed horseradish is easy to overlook in this recipe but it does real work, adding a faint sharpness that makes the sauce taste less like ketchup stirred into mayo.
Do not substitute with grated fresh horseradish unless you reduce the quantity to half a teaspoon as it is considerably more pungent. If serving at a dinner party, the sauce can be made up to 24 hours ahead and kept covered in the fridge.
Add the prawns no more than 30 minutes before serving, otherwise the acid in the lemon juice begins to change the texture of the prawn flesh, making it slightly mealy. Iceberg is the correct lettuce for this.
Its crunch and mild flavour do not compete with the sauce. Soft leaves like butter lettuce wilt immediately under the cold, dressed prawns.
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