Prawns were meant to be smothered in creamy sauce and eaten as an entree (appetiser). These Prawn Cocktails with black vinegar and sesame make the perfect quick and easy starter.
I am not a fan of Prawns in their shells. I don’t like to tuck into Prawns on a hot day. Sticky Prawny smelling hands should be reserved for making Prawn cocktails in the kitchen.
Prawn Cocktails make an easy starter
I prefer to buy them green and cook them myself. Pan-fried Prawns or those cooked on the BBQ are my favourites.
It does seem that often during festive times, people that rarely eat prawns turn up with a soggy package of prawns all cooked in their shells.
The best thing to do with those Prawns is whip them into a prawn cocktail, don’t you think?
They make a really easy entree or starter that you can make ahead of time (or even when someone arrives with them!). I’ve added flavours that just go so well with prawns.
What is Black Vinegar
This recipe has black vinegar. It is quite exotically delicious. I use Chinkiang Black Vinegar, it’s a fermented Chinese vinegar that adds the zip in Hoisin sauce dip for Rice paper rolls and the recipes I’ve linked to below. Its perfect in a stirfry and a braise and costs only a couple of dollars!
Chopped and mixed with salad and a creamy dressing, prawns are THE best. That’s why the humble Prawn cocktail has stood the test of time
These are some of the ingredients
- Chinkiang Black Vinegar- Asian supply stores
- Water Chestnuts- supermarkets
- cucumber- small Lebanese
- Kewpie Mayonnaise- supermarkets
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Coriander
- Lemon or limes
- Cos lettuce
- shallots
Here’s a reminder of the great dishes you can make with a bottle of Black Vinegar
Crispy Skinned Chicken with Black Vinegar caramel
Hoisin dressing with Black dressing
So lets start
- Cut up cucumbers and water chestnuts for crunch
2. Toss them into a bowl with chopped coz lettuce
3. Add chopped Prawns and then dress with black vinegar sesame mayonnaise
3. Put small cos leaves into entre glasses (Ikea)
4. Pile glasses high with Prawn salad with whole Prawns on the side. These ones have even got avocado too!
Prawn cocktail with Black Vinegar and Sesame
Ingredients
- 2 kg prawns cooked in shells
- 200 gm cucumber
- 50 gm water chestnuts
- 2 whole green onions 1/4 cup
- 2 whole baby cos lettuces washed
- 25 gn sesame seeds 3 tablespoons
- 1 ea avocado cut in half and then into 3 (6 pieces)
- 1 ea lime cut into 6
- 1/2 bunch coriander
Dressing
- 200 gm kewpie mayonnaise 1 large cup
- 20 ml black vinegar 1 Tablespoon
- 20 ml sesame sauce 1 Tablespoon, toasted
- 20 ml soy sauce 1 Tablespoon
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Peel the prawns and set aside 1 to 2 per person for sitting on the top of the cocktail
- Pick out 6 nice small crunchy leaves to sit in each individual glass
- Chop the rest of the Prawns up and put into a medium bowl. Cut them in half and scrape out the seeds before cutting 8 sticks, and then smallish chunks, about the size of the prawn pieces. Peel the cucumber if you prefer.
- Open and drain the water chestnuts. I use around 50 gm chopped into cubes, but you can use more if you like. Slice the shallots into rings and toss into the bowl. Slice the rest of the cos lettuce and add all of the ingredients to the salad bowl. Pick half the leaves of coriander and add to the salad. reserve the rest for the top. Chop the stems and add them too.
Dressing
- Put the kewpie mayonnaise into a bowl and add the soy, sesame oil, black vinegar and smoked paprika. Mix well and set aside
Putting it together
- Mix 1/2 of the mayonnaise into the salad. Pile the salad into the glasses with the cos lettuce leaves. Add a slice of avocado and a couple of coriander leaves.
- Roll the whole Prawns that were set aside in the sesame seeds and place on the side of the glass. Spoon the remainder of the dressing over the cocktails.
Notes
These make the perfect holiday appetizer! I miss water chestnuts. My mom used to buy the fresh one and we ate them as a snack or appetizer. So juicy and crunchy. The dressing is interesting with Chinese black vinegar.