Celebrity chef shares common prawn cocktail mistake everyone makes – and how to fix it

Restaurant owner Andrew Martin has revealed the major mistake people make when making a prawn cocktail – luckily there’s a simple way to fix it

The humble prawn cocktail is a Christmas Day staple on dining tables across the country, standing the test of time since it reached culinary stardom in the Sixties. The signature hors d’oeuvre is the perfect crowd-pleaser to serve before the big bird lands on the table, as its light freshness cuts through all the glorious festive stodge.

You may have served up lashings of prawns in Marie Rose sauce for many years without questioning your recipe, but one celebrity chef has revealed a common mistake most people make before filling up the glass with the delicious mix. Adrian Martin, owner and head chef of Wildflower Restaurant in London, has shared some pearls of wisdom ahead of Christmas Day feasting and it could elevate your simple prawn cocktail to new heights.

The Six O’Clock Show star told RSVP Live that many cooks ruin their Marie Rose sauce by adding too much vinegar, leaving it far too tart. The prawns you pick up in the supermarket can also make or break the starter, according to Adrian.

He said: ” Too much vinegar in the sauce for the prawn cocktail can overpower the whole dish.

“Cheap rubbery prawns are also a no go. If you can get your hands on good quality prawns it will make a huge difference.”

The chef jokes that he is an ‘agony aunt’ at Christmas, as people flood his email inbox with admissions of failed festive dishes – pleading for advice on how to make the best prawn cocktail.

For Adrian, his secret trick is adding sweet chilli sauce to counter any acidity and add a sweet flavour as well as a ‘kick’.

The food expert joked that prawn cocktail is far from a favourite in his household, as it hasn’t gone down well in previous years.

He explained: “I will be very honest, prawn cocktail is not the starter of choice in our house. I made it once and everyone hated it.”

Adrian’s advice comes as experts have shared top tips for saving up to 2.5 hours of time on Christmas Day by prepping some dishes in advance.

KItchen experts at Tap Warehouse have explained how to make the whole day run smoothly – and the secret is all in the prep work.

One handy trick the team shared is parboiling and freezing your roasties in advance, in order to avoid a stressful Christmas morning and create the perfect crispy potatoes.

The kitchen experts say to peel and chop your potatoes and parboil them for 5-10 minutes, draining them and returning them to the pan before shaking the pan to make them rough around the edges. According to recipes, this will save you approximately 25 minutes.

Once the potatoes are cool, freeze them until Christmas Day. There’s no need to defrost these on the day, simply add them to a tray of hot olive oil and cook them in a fan oven at 200°C for 40-50 minutes until crispy.

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