Summer is the favorite time of the year in my opinion. The weather is great, and more people plan their backyard get-together around this time. The fact that we are not in normal times does not mean that you cannot have a few friends over for a full course dinner.
The only thing necessary is to make sure all the COVID-19 safety protocols are being observed such as keeping a safe social distance, wearing face masks (comes off at a socially distanced table setting when eating though), washing hands accordingly for 20 seconds with soap under running water and certainly keeping your hand sanitizers close.
Now a mixed seafood cocktail for a starter on a slightly warm summer night is the perfect way to begin the night. The classic recipe is a banger, but it is always fun to experiment with other seafood in a fun way to bring all that seafood flavor in one bite.
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This starter is easy to make and it will save you a great deal of time if they are pre-made ahead of the dinner and refrigerated.
Good To Know’s top tip for making a seafood cocktail when there is no Marie Rose sauce on hand is to “add a little wasabi and a squeeze of lemon to your mayo – it has a great kick and goes so well with the prawns.” Also, add some hot smoked salmon to this recipe and let us know how it goes.
Photo: Dinner at the Zoo
Ingredients
175g good-quality mayonnaise
3tbsp tomato ketchup
Few drops Tabasco
1-2tsp Worcestershire sauce
500g North Atlantic cooked prawns
1 large ripe avocado, finely chopped
1⁄4 large cucumber, chopped
6 dill sprigs, leaves removed and chopped
Zest and juice of 1⁄2 lemon
3 small heads of gem lettuce, leaves removed
100g fresh or tinned white crabmeat (drained if tinned)
Lemon wedges
6 large tail-on cooked prawns
100g hot smoked salmon
Photo: ILoveCooking
Method
Mix the mayonnaise with the tomato ketchup, Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce. Stir prawns through; set aside.
Mix the avocado, cucumber, dill, lemon juice and zest together and season.
Remove the dark green outer leaves of the little gems and shred the rest. Put 3 whole leaves into each glass and top with shredded lettuce. Add the prawns and hot smoked salmon, then 2⁄3 of the avocado mix, the crab and finally the remaining avocado mix.
Garnish each glass with a large prawn and serve with lemon wedges
