In Rome, tradition wants a Christmas Eve vegetarian dinner on December 24th. In my childhood, we used to go for dinner to the home of Nonna Irene who made the same menu every year: the prawn cocktail was her starter. It is a recipe that is a bit vintage but very good.

Shrimp cocktail of Granny Irene

  • Preparation time: 30 minutes
  • Ingredients for 6 servings
  • Difficulty: Easy recipe

  • Ingredients
  • 1.8 kg or 4 lb of prawns
  • 1 lettuce
  • Cocktail sauce to taste (about 12 tablespoons of sauce)
  • Extra virgin olive oil to taste
  • Lemon juice to taste
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  1. Instructions
  2. Rinse the prawns well and cook them in boiling water for about three minutes.
  3. When cooked, peel and dress a little with oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
  4. Wash the salad and chop it into fine strips. Season a little with oil and salt.
  5. In a cocktail cup, add some salad, pour over a tablespoon of sauce then the prawns, and finally decorate with another spoonful of cocktail sauce.
  6. Leave in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Tips to ensure the success of the dish:

  • The taste of prawns is in the exterior, andtherefore it is not advisable to boil them when already peeled.
  • You can use either or both the Roman lettuce or cabbage lettuce, the important thing is to use the very fresh light green part.
  • It requires a simple preparation that should be done just before the service. In fact, if the salad is seasoned, it tends to spoil. Therefore, prepare everything around half an hour before serving.

From the right: my cousin Elena, Granny Irene, myself with my little sister