Retro Prawn Cocktail Shooters (Print Version)

Succulent prawns with tangy sauce served in stylish shot glasses for elegant appetizer bites.

# Components:

→ 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 - ½ teaspoon hot sauce (e.g., Tabasco)
07 - ¼ 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

# Directions:

01 - Combine ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly and adjust seasoning if necessary.
02 - Refrigerate the cocktail sauce for at least 15 minutes to enhance flavor development.
03 - Optionally, place a small piece of lettuce or a few microgreens at the bottom of each shot glass.
04 - Spoon approximately 1 tablespoon of chilled cocktail sauce into each shot glass.
05 - Drape two prawns over the rim of each glass with tails facing outward for easy enjoyment.
06 - Sprinkle chopped chives or parsley atop each shooter and place a lemon wedge alongside.
07 - Serve immediately, keeping the shooters chilled until ready to present.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They're genuinely impressive to look at but take barely twenty minutes from start to table.
  • The horseradish and Worcestershire give you that proper vintage kick that store-bought cocktail sauce just can't match.
  • Guests always eat them in one guilty gulp, which feels like an unspoken compliment.
02 -
  • Never use cold sauce straight from the bottle—it needs that fifteen minutes to meld or it tastes like you threw random condiments together.
  • Buy your prawns from a fishmonger or decent supermarket counter, not the bargain frozen bag, because tough rubbery shrimp will ruin the whole experience.
  • If you're making these more than two hours ahead, assemble just the sauce and glasses, then add the prawns and garnish right before guests arrive so nothing gets waterlogged.
03 -
  • Make the sauce the day before and let it sit overnight in the fridge—the flavors deepen and mellow in the most delicious way.
  • If your horseradish sauce seems too harsh, balance it with a tiny pinch of sugar rather than more ketchup, which keeps the sauce from becoming cloying.
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