Cajun-style prawn cocktail
Cajun-style prawn cocktail
Ingredients
Prawns
- 225g frozen raw peeled king prawns, defrosted
- 100ml buttermilk (if you can't find buttermilk, mix the same amount of yogurt with the juice of ½ lemon)
Salad
- ½ iceberg lettuce, shredded
- 1 ripe avocado, stoned, halved, peeled and thinly sliced crosswise
- finely chopped chives to garnish
Cajun seasoning
- 3 tbsp smoked paprika
- ½ tbsp ground black pepper
- ½ tbsp ground white pepper
- 1½ tbsp garlic powder
- 1½ tbsp onion powder
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1-2 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
Sauce
- 4 tbsp mayonnaise
- 4 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 3 tsp capers, drained and finely chopped
- 30g gherkins, finely chopped
Coating
- 100g plain flour
- 100g fine cornmeal or polenta
- 2 tsp baking powder
Instructions
- 1
First, combine all the ingredients for the Cajun seasoning.
- 2
Mix the prawns with the buttermilk and 3 tbsp of the Cajun seasoning in a large bowl, then set aside.
- 3
To make the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Season and set aside.
- 4
Combine all the ingredients for the coating in a separate bowl with the remaining Cajun seasoning and a pinch of salt, then set aside.
- 5
Take one prawn at a time, gently shake off any excess buttermilk mixture, then dip into the coating using a fork, turning to ensure it is fully covered before transferring to a plate.
- 6
Leave to rest for 15 mins.
- 7
Fill each glass almost to the top with lettuce, then spoon 2 tbsp of the sauce into each.
- 8
Divide the avocado slices between four martini glasses, arranging them in a fan against the rim of each glass, so the tops are sticking up over the rims.
- 9
Heat a 10cm depth of oil in a shallow saucepan or deep-fat fryer until it reaches 180C, or when a cube of bread dropped into the oil browns within 20 seconds.
- 10
Fry the coated prawns in batches of 10 for 4-5 mins per batch until golden and crisp.
- 11
Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper using a slotted spoon and leave to drain.
- 12
Repeat until all the prawns are cooked, then season with salt and divide between the glasses.
- 13
Sprinkle over the chives.
Nutrition
Per serving (based on 4 servings)

