Do you remember the 1970s? Well, I am sure some of you do, even if you were only babes in arms. I was a young teenager at the end of the 1970s but it was a time in London when great changes were afoot in the world of food. The height of sophistication at the time for a dinner party was probably something along the lines of prawn and avocado cocktail, steak with pepper sauce and Black Forest gâteau for dessert. And nothing wrong with any of that I say…but the 80s were soon going to herald the advent of Nouvelle Cuisine (or really tiny portions) and strange mixtures of ingredients such as Loin of some Obscure and Almost Extinct Creature Marinated in a Gooseberry and Guinness Jus. Well, you know what I mean.
Having watched a DVD of Abigail´s Party (I wish I knew how to insert video clips), I was clearly feeling nostalgic and decided to go a bit retro with my peeled prawns. Sometimes you just have to go with the flow and accept you´re getting old…
Ingredients for 4 people as a starter
- Two lettuce hearts (use 8 of the bigger outside leaves and use the rest for salad)
- 1 cup of peeled prawns, cooked and cut in half if large
- 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped (not too finely)
- 1 ripe avocado (chopped into small cubes)
- 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Half a cup of Marie Rose sauce (I made mine using 3 tablespoons of tomato ketchup, 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise, 1 heaped teaspoon of horseradish sauce, 1 teaspoon of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce and 1 tablespoon of sweet chili sauce)
- Pimentón to taste
Simply mix all the ingredients together and spoon into the lettuce leaves. Sprinkle with hot or sweet Pimentón.
Now, put some groovy 1970s dinner party music on the built in Hi-fi, slip into a glamorous kaftan and enjoy the evening….
Chica Andaluza 
Oh, yes, I’m afraid I do remember when prawn cocktails signified sophistication! Yours look wonderful, though, and I’m sure taste good. There wasn’t anything really wrong with food in seventies, in itself, if was just limited and now I think it’s time to return to prawns in mayonnaise. A friend made them for us the other night and I enjoyed them!
It´s true what you say about food being limited. We used to be lucky enough to go to Italy every year to visit family and bought back olive oil with us because when I was very young I think you could only buy it in teeny tiny bottles in Boots (pharmacy) for medicinal use…whatever that was!
I was lucky too, to grow up in Mediterranean countries, but I remember knowing people who hadn’t eaten pasta until they went to university – impossible to imagine these days!
“A glamorous kaftan”? You just don’t see those words in the same sentence, let alone used together, anymore. Rather oxymoronic, no? 🙂
I don’t care what decade it came from, this would make a great starter both in taste and presentation. Good, fresh ingredients will never go out of style. Thanks, Tanya, for what must be a tasty way to begin a meal.
Now, about that video …
John, you´ve clearly never had a rummage round my mother´s scary kaftan collection. I wish I was joking but I really am not! Do have to admit to a few drunken photos with girlfriends (not so long ago) when we all put my mother´s kaftans on…she saw the funny side (eventually)!
It was a fun starter, and the prawns were big and juicy, so very tasty indeed.
Hey I remember shrimp cocktails. Haven’t had one in, well decades actually and your version looks A LOT LOT better than the poor little things from the 70s/80s/oh my god that was a long time ago. Anyway, avocados certainly weren’t around that I knew of so the cocktails were 1000 island dressing smothering lettuce and shrimps. That was about it.
I think I will have to check your one out – Yummo.
Oh yes that 1000 Island Dressing which always seemed to have worrying green bits in it. And served in those metal ice cream bowls or cocktail glasses!
Oh god I had forgotten all about the metal bowls and the green bits.
sometimes, a blast from the past is exactly what we need 🙂
It is…and we really enjoyed it!
I regret I remember when ‘Vesta’ Curries and risottos were considered the height of cool.
The management always started his meals out with a ‘prawn cocktail’ when we went out back then. Weren’t most prawn cocktails followed by ‘well done'(burnt) steak and banana splits?
God, Vesta curries – that takes me back to Uni days where I was in Halls which provided food. It was so dire we all used to run upstairs after dinner and make Vesta curries on the little two ring burner we had in our kitchen!
This recipe I’ll have to try. Looks scrumptious Tanya.
Thanks Tia – easy peasy and very tasty!
Hi T. I always think this is a great starter. Taste over trend every time! 🙂
Have a great weekend.
Florence x
Taste over trend indeed…I like that!
Something about this that is always a winner no matter the year or our age Tanya! Delicious!
🙂 Mandy
People who like prawns generally do tend to go a bit misty eyed when you mention prawn cocktail!
Will I get in trouble if I say no to your question? I wouldn’t say no to these cups. Also, we watched That 70s Show. Does that count?
Ok, you young ones, you won´t get into trouble! And yes, That 70s Show counts…. 😉
I was born on 1978 so I’m with Greg on this one 🙂 but I watched that 70’s show, glad it counts
All my young readers..bless ´em!
Hmmm, I wonder if Greg was named after a certain someone in The Brady Bunch??
Hee hee, loved that programme!
Seems beautiful and so delicious… Thank you dear Chica, have a nice weekend, with my love, nia
You too Nia – you´ve been quiet lately, hope all is ok?
thank you dear chica, I am fine just slept long today. Love and Hugs, nia
Good, well you have a wonderful weekend!
You too dear Chica… Love, nia
Looks like a delicious recipe. I usually let my wife do the cooking but this looks like a recipe that I could manage.
This is an easy one that tastes great but looks like you´ve put some effort in – and thanks for reblogging it, very kind!
These look heavenly! A great little cocktail party starter!
Indeed!
Reblogged this on Bits & Blogs and commented:
This looks like a delicious recipe. I usually leave the cooking to my wife but this looks like a meal that I could manage to prepare.
Far out!! Thanks for bringing back a dish that never deserved to be left behind!
Here’s something I wonder about, Tanya. In certain restaurants and on certain menus, various items are described as appetizers. But it seems to me that an appetizer’s job is not to fill us up, like so many do, but rather to whet and wake up the appetite. These little numbers of yours do just that! positively nummy!
Far out indeed…man! And yes, the appetizer should be the “curtain up” to the show, with the pudding as the grand finale (and possibly the encore too)!
As soon as I saw the title of your post and the photo I was thinking about Abigail’s Party – do you like Denis Rousos Tone?
I love prawn cocktail, 70’s or otherwise!
So funny, Alison Steadman is brilliant in that. And as some of my pals call me “Tarn” (for Tanya) and my surname is Russo, I´ll have to say “groovy” to Demis Roussos!
Well I just might have to know you now as Groovy Chica 🙂
This looks amazing. I only wish my husband loved avocado as much as me. 😦
It´s always tricky isn´t it when one person can´t “appreciate” an ingredient as much as the other. I guess it would be easy to just add avocado to half the mix though on this one!
Yes – good plan! x
This looks incredible, Tanya! What a great appetizer for a dinner party. So colorful, too! x
Thanks Caroline – and easy to prepare ahead and just assemble at the last minute!
how fun!! I once did a dinner party of all retro foods!! It brought back so many memories and laughs from everyone! I’ll have to make a note on this recipe for next time!!
That must have been such a fun evening – I can just imagine it. Hope you all got dressed up too!
Jaja! Me ha encantado la receta y su toque retro. Demis Roussos? Algún primo lejano?
Que tengas un muy buen fin de semana Tanya!
Nunca se sabe…no sé si tenemos un ramo de la familia en Grecia! Un bien fin de semana para ti también Giovanna..
They do a very good prawn cocktail in Lorelei, and you can never have enough cheese, so fondue or cheese and wine parties are great by me. Fanny Cradock has some great tips 😉
Ooh yes, Fondue! And good old Fanny and Johnny…am chuckling now thinking about some of her classic quotes 😉
This is really a luxury meal, looks great and delicious:)
Thank you – it was wonderful!
🙂
I love prawns. This is a refreshing way to enjoy my ever favorite seafood. I hope to try this soon. Thanks…Have a wonderful weekend.
Thank you – you have a great weekend too with your family!
I remember this well. There was also a crab stuffed avocado that was popular back them. This is my first visit to your blog, so I took some time to browse through your earlier posts. I’m so glad I did that. I really like the food and recipes you share with your readers and I’ll definitely be back. I hope you have a great day. Blessings…Mary
Thank you Mary for your lovely comment! It´s always good to welcome new friends, so I´m pleased you liekd what you saw 🙂
I might be too young to remember much of the seventies, but I would have remember them if I had had these lettuce cups. 🙂 Hope you have a great weekend!
Thanks Jed, you young thing!
These look too good! I must try them out sometime!
Thank you hope you enjoy them!
Lovely nice lettuce wraps, I love a lot in it prawns, avocadoes, eggs. Great combination of flavours
Thank you Raymund – we are planning on making them again soon!
I’m feelin’ groovy just looking at this saucy shrimp dish. Ah yes, I remember Mama Cass and the kaftans…never wore one of those, but I do remember wearing quiana knit paisley wide collared disco shirts and flare legged pants…an um interesting time in fashion all around! A really fun and made me smile trip down memory lane and your prawns in lettuce cups looks delicious, Tanya!
Thanks Betsy – I was too young for kaftans but I do have a fab picture of me aged about 13 with a very groovy pair of flares with diagonal stripes (lucky I wasn´t a porker) and a short feathery haircut! Glad you liked the recipe and the trip down memory lane. Ah..Mama Cass….!
Haha, even the pastel salmon color of the prawn salad screams 70s/80s. I love it.
I remember my favorite hairstyle being the ponytail to one side, and boy, did I sport those leggings with over-sized sweatshirts and fluorescent accessories. 🙂
Me too and I was probably way too old to be doing it!
In these parts these are still the height of sophistication. Not the lovely version you’ve made but nasty frozen prawns in mayonnaise with tomato ketchup in it! I’m only joking a little bit.
I know you´re only joking a Little bit…have had the “experience” on visits to London!
I love this… I’m certain my parents made the shrimp cocktail appetizers all the time!! The 70’s were awesome!! Fringe leather vests.. headbands.. bellbottom jeans.. but how would I know what they wore back then;) I love your new “update” on an old faithful dish!
Thanks Betsy – they weren´t all bad were they those years that Fashion Forgot?!
Reblogged this on Halal786's Blog and commented:
Prawns…mmm
good article
thank you for sharing this article