A Seafood Cocktail is a delicate cold starter dish featuring premium seafood with cucumber, capers, salad leaves and fresh herbs, all dressed in a creamy and tangy salad-style sauce, and served in an elegant glass.
Recipe Intro
Seafood Cocktail Origins: Seafood cocktail, also known as prawn cocktail, became a popular dish in the mid-20th century, often served as a starter at formal dinners. Although its exact origins are unclear, it is widely believed to have been influenced by the French ‘cocktail de fruits de mer’ but gained popularity in the U.S. and the UK in the 1960s.
While traditionally seen as an extravagant dish, it can easily be simplified and made more affordable using just one type of seafood, like prawns. Its simple yet elegant presentation makes it a favourite at parties and restaurants, especially during the festive season or Valentine’s Day.
This recipe is based on a selection of seafood salads served as a light main dish at a historic hotel restaurant in Monte Carlo. This dish blends fresh seafood with crisp vegetables and a tangy dressing, offering a luxurious yet accessible treat.
Presentation: Traditionally served in a martini glass, it can also be presented in other elegant glasses such as ice cream or dessert glasses and small glass bowls, adding a sophisticated touch to any occasion.
Seafood Salad Cocktail Ingredients
You can mix a variety of seafood and vegetables for a more complex flavour or stick to your favourite seafood protein. Feel free to select just one type of seafood and combine it with the vegetables of your choice.
- lobster
- crab
- prawns
- crayfish
- langoustines
- cucumber
- gherkins
- capers
- lemon
- salad leaves
- cress
- strawberries
- mayonnaise
- yoghurt
- mustard
- ketchup
- apple cider vinegar
- creme fraîche
- dill
- parsley
- chives
- paprika
- chilli or cayenne
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How to make Seafood Salad Cocktail
Prepare Seafood
- If you’re using precooked seafood such as crab, prawns, crayfish, or langoustines, simply slice or dice them to your preference for an elegant presentation.
- For lobster or lobster tails, or any raw seafood, cook them first, allow them to cool completely, and then slice or dice the meat as desired before assembling your cocktail.
Prepare Vegetables
- Wash the salad leaves thoroughly and cut them into manageable pieces or shred it.
- Peel the fresh cucumber and cut it into small cubes.
- Finely chop the gherkins, capers, fresh chives and parsley leaves.
Make the Salad Dressing
Here are three dressings to complement your seafood cocktail. Choose your favourite or prepare a selection.
I have included a refined take on Thousand Island dressing and a light and refreshing yoghurt-based dressing inspired by a Monte Carlo restaurant.
For a touch of indulgence, there’s also a strawberry and champagne sauce, perfect for a romantic occasion like Valentine’s Day.
Thousand islands
- Place finely chopped parsley, dill, and gherkins into a small bowl.
- Next, add the mayonnaise, ketchup, Dijon mustard, and white wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle with sweet paprika.
- Mix until well combined.
- For a spicy kick, feel free to add a pinch of cayenne pepper or chilli powder and mix well.
Zesty Yoghurt Dressing
- Mix yoghurt with lemon juice in a small bowl.
- Add finely diced cucumber, a pinch of garlic powder, a little bit of lemon zest and a little fresh dill.
- A dash of apple cider vinegar will add balance, and then season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir everything together well, and your creamy, zesty sauce is ready to use.
Assemble the Seafood Salad Cocktail
- Green layer
To assemble the seafood cocktail, start by layering a handful of crisp salad leaves at the bottom of the chic serving glass, to create a fresh base. - Seafood layer
How you assemble your seafood cocktail is entirely up to you and depends on the look and experience you want to create.
For a richer flavour, gently coat the prawns in the sauce before adding them to the glass.
If using more luxurious seafood like lobster meat or langoustines and want to showcase their texture and quality, it’s best to arrange them first over crisp salad leaves, then drizzle the sauce over the top. This allows the seafood to maintain its visual appeal while still being complemented by the dressing.
Arrange the seafood carefully so each piece is visible and inviting. - Dressing layer
Spoon over just enough dressing to coat without overwhelming the delicate flavours. - Garnish
For the finishing touches, garnish with a sprinkle of fresh chives, a few capers, parsley leaves, fressh dill and perhaps a twist of lemon or a sliver of cucumber for a refined touch.
Serving: Serve immediately for the freshest taste and most striking presentation
Try something different for Valentine’s Day – Strawberry Sparkle Dressing 🍓🍾
- To make the Strawberry Sparkle Dressing, take a couple of ripe strawberries and mash them with a fork until they’re almost puree.
- Combine them with crème fraîche. Add a splash of Prosecco to thin the mixture just enough to coat your seafood.
- Sweeten with honey, and finish off with a hint of lemon zest for freshness and a pinch of salt.
If you prefer a little more acidity, a squeeze of lemon juice works perfectly. Mix well. - Coat the prepared seafood in the Strawberry Sparkle Dressing, then layer it in a glass with lamb’s lettuce at the base and garnish with cress and a slice of fresh strawberry.
Recipe Card
Tasty Seafood Salad Cocktail Ideas
Ingredients
- 1 cup seafood - lobster, langoustines, prawns, crab, crayfish
- a few salad leaves - iceberg, wild rocket, radicchio, lamb's lettuce
Thousand Island Seafood Cocktail
- 4 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tsp finely chopped gherkins
- ½ tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp fresh parsley - finely chopped
- 1 tsp dill - finely chopped
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper - optional
- ½ tsp paprika
- salt, pepper - to taste
- capers - optional
Yoghurt and Lemon Seafood Cocktail
- 4 tbsp Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp dill
- 2 tbsp cucumber - peeled, finely diced
- 1/3 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Strawberries Sparkle Seafood Cocktail
- 4 ripe strawberries - mashed
- 4 tbsp crème fraîche
- 3 tbsp Prosecco
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp honey
- pinch salt
- 1-2 whole strawberry - sliced for garnish
- cress - for garnish
Instructions
- Slice or dice cooked seafood (prawns, crab, crayfish, or lobster).
- Wash and cut salad leaves, cucumber, gherkins, capers, and fresh herbs.
- Thousand Island DressingFinely chop parsley, dill, and gherkins.Mix mayonnaise, ketchup, Dijon mustard, and white wine vinegar in a small bowl.Add the chopped herbs, gherkins, salt, pepper, and a sprinkle of sweet paprika.Stir until well combined. Optional: Add a pinch of cayenne pepper or chilli powder for a spicy kick.
- Creamy Citrus DressingIn a small bowl, mix yoghurt with lemon juice.Add finely diced cucumber, garlic powder, lemon zest, and fresh dill.Add a dash of apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper.Stir everything together until smooth.
- Strawberry Sparkle DressingMash a couple of ripe strawberries with a fork until pureed. Mix it with crème fraîcheAdd a splash of Prosecco to thin the mixture.Add honey and add lemon zest. Mix well.Add a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice (optional).
- Place the washed and chopped salad leaves in a glass. Next, add the prepared seafood and drizzle the dressing over it, or mix the seafood with the dressing to coat it before adding it to the glass. you can add a teaspoon of extra dressing on top.
- Garnish with a salad leaf, cress, parsley, slice of strawberry, lobster or langoustine claw meat, lemon slice, whatever you fancy.