Prawn Brandy Cocktail Salad

Contemporary twist on the dated prawn cocktail and slightly more healthier than eating soupy mayonnaise and ketchup coated shrimp off a soggy ice berg leaf. This weeks winner in the salad selection at work and includes 3 of your 5 day! 

800g large raw prawns

25g butter

1 spanish onion

1 clove garlic

Small knob of ginger

100g baby spinach (washed)

1 large avocado

2 red grapefruit

Sea salt and pepper to season

DRESSING:

200ml cherry brandy

2 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 small nutmeg freshly grated

6 pink peppercorns

1 bay leave

1 clove garlic

1 teaspoon dijon

150ml extra virgin olive oil

METHOD:

Dice onion, crush garlic and grate ginger, place large pot on a medium heat with butter and add the onion, garlic and ginger. Cook till the onion goes soft and add the prawns then season with a little salt and pepper. Once the prawns have only just turned pink remove from heat and strain the juices and leave the prawns to cool.

To make the dressing put in a small sauce pan the brandy, vinegar, sugar, salt, nutmeg, peppercorns and bay leave and place over a high heat, bring to a rapid boil and reduce the liquid to a syrup consistency then remove from heat. Strain the liquid into a food processor and add the mustard, blitz together till well combined and slowly pour in the olive oil. The dressing should be thick, smooth and elastic. 

Peel the skin off the grapefruit and cut flesh segments from the pith and remove any seeds. Cut the avocado in half remove the stone and spoon out the flesh then slice into thin wedges. 

Now its time to construct the salad, on a large platter lay out half the spinach leave's followed by half the avocado wedges and grapefruit segments. Evenly place out half the prawns over the salad base and finally drizzle some dressing over the salad then repeat the layer one more time. Serve the salad straight away.