Richard Bainbridge turns a retro classic into a stylish canapé in his prawn cocktail tartlet recipe. The mini tart shells are filled with Marie Rose sauce and shredded lettuce before being topped with sweet, juicy prawns dusted with crushed freeze-dried raspberries.
Make the pastry for the tartlets the day before serving to allow it to rest overnight. In a bowl, rub together the flour and butter until the mixture forms a breadcrumb-like consistency. Combine the milk and egg in a separate bowl and whisk together gently
Make a well in the flour mixture and add the salt and sugar. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the well and bring all the ingredients together, mixing until they form a dough. Wrap in cling film and leave in the fridge overnight to rest
The next day, preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4
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Roll out half of the dough to a 3mm thickness on a lightly floured work surface. Cut out 25 discs of pasty and use them to line the greased tartlet moulds. Prick the base of the tartlets with a fork and bake for 12–14 minutes until golden brown. Remove and allow to cool on a wire rack
butter, for greasing
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For the Marie Rose sauce, place the egg yolks in a bowl with the vinegar and mustard and whisk together well. Slowly start to stream in the rapeseed oil, whisking constantly (this can be done in a food processor if you prefer)
Once all the oil has been added it should start to look like a rich, golden mayonnaise. Now add the tomato ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco and whiskey to taste. Place in the fridge until needed
To dress the tarts, lightly rinse the prawns and season with salt, pepper and a little lemon juice. Fill each tart shell with a spoonful of the Marie Rose sauce, top with a small amount of the lettuce, arrange two prawns on top, sprinkle over a dusting of the freeze-dried raspberry powder and serve
With a background in classical cooking in Michelin-starred kitchens, Richard Bainbridge returned to his home city of Norwich to open Benedicts, a renowned restaurant which serves Norfolk produce cooked with passion, playfulness and creativity.
