Prawn Dipping Sauces

Here are 5 prawn dipping sauces that our family has been using for as long as I can remember. There’s a nice variety of seafood sauces to choose from: Cocktail Seafood Sauce, Tartare, Marie Rose / Thousand Island, or a Thai Chilli Lime Sauce for something fresher. Plus, our Family Favourite Sauce!

Prawn dipping sauces

It’s really worth making your own dipping sauces when you’ve invested in fresh juicy prawns. The jarred stuff lacks the fresh flavour of homemade seafood sauces and just doesn’t do prawns justice!

A couple of weeks ago, we catered my mother’s annual Christmas party for 30 of her friends. I’ve noticed that we get approached to do this every 2nd year. I think that the organisers assume that we’re scarred by the experience (something to do with our bedraggled appearance at the end?) and that by leaving a year in between, the memory fades and we only remember how much we enjoyed it so we never say no.

Very clever.

We mix it up from year to year. But two things have always remained a constant: Maple Glazed Ham and freshly cooked prawns with dipping sauces. There’s no doubt these two are always the most popular items there.

And thus the job of peeling 5 kg / 10lb of fresh cooked prawns always appears on the list as the most undesirable task for the party. I never put up my hand for that one. So I remain silent until someone volunteers. I say “someone”, but it’s always mother. It happens to her multiple times each year, like a big beach BBQ we went to last month where she was asked to peel and skewer 3kg/6lb of raw prawns (which is even more of a pain!).

I will peel prawns for my mother’s friends. But that is not the Aussie way for a gathering of family and friends. Our way is to dump whole, unpeeled prawns in large bowls and buckets with an assortment of dipping sauces on the Christmas Feasting Table.

Peel your own, mate!

I know it’s real easy to pick up a jar of store bought, especially because at this time of the year, the supermarkets and fish shops are so kind as to put out displays stands jam packed with all sorts of seafood sauces right where the prawns are.

But with little effort – and I’m talking a few minutes – you can make your own and the fresh flavour you’ll enjoy will make you turn up your nose at the jarred stuff. It’s just not the same, the jarred stuff has an edge of artificialness. And I know this for sure because I bought a couple of jars while I was refining these prawn dipping sauces just to do side by side taste tests so I could truly say in all honesty that I think these homemade ones are better.

The freshness – you just can’t get the same freshness in store bought.

So here they are!

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1. Marie Rose / Thousand Island Sauce

Marie Rose and Thousand Island Sauce are basically the same thing. You’ll find little tweaks and variations of the two all over the place, but a basic pink sauce made with mayo and ketchup with some seasonings is really all this is. It actually doesn’t have much flavour, and it’s not intended to. It’s a neutral sauce that let’s the flavour of the prawns really shine.

2. Seafood Cocktail Sauce

This is the punchier flavoured version of Marie Rose. The sauce itself actually has flavour, it’s tangy and kind of savoury, with more layers of flavour because there’s more ingredients in this. I’m a big fan of this one, love the tanginess.

3. Tartare Sauce

Just like what you get at the local fish and chip shop! (Except better, because you can actually taste the gherkins and capers in it). A classic condiment also for Crispy Beer Battered Fish.

4. Thai Sweet Chilli Lime Dipping Sauce

Because not everyone likes mayo based dipping sauces! The flavours in this with sweet juicy prawns is simply a match made in heaven.

5. RecipeTin Family’s Prawn Dipping Sauce

It’s basically the love child of Marie Rose Sauce and Tartare sauce: The tang and sweetness of Marie Rose combined with the finely chopped savoury ingredients and added freshness of dill from the Tartare side. This is what we served with the prawns at my mother’s Christmas Party and everybody commented on how they loved it, especially the fresh dill flavour. So I thought I should share it.

6. More Sauces! 

Try these sauces from other recipes I’ve shared that will go great with prawns! Spicy Thai Mango Dipping Sauce, use Honey Mustard Dressing as a sauce (perfect prawn dipping consistency), Sweet & Sour Sauce, Lemon Cream Sauce, Creamy Dill Sauce.

Personally, I would provide 2 dipping sauces. Good rule of thumb is to go by contrasting colours. So, for example, If I knew everyone was fine with mayo, I’d probably do the RecipeTin Family Favourite plus the Cocktail Sauce. I wouldn’t do Marie Rose + Tartare because they are a bit too similar in flavour. If I knew someone health conscious was coming, I’d definitely include the Thai Sweet Chilli Lime Sauce.

But truthfully? Don’t overthink it. Let’s face it. Juicy, fresh cooked prawns are great just as they are, eaten plain. No one will cry if you didn’t even provide a sauce at all, or if you just pulled out a jar of mayo and stirred through a squirt of lemon juice.

Remember, Christmas is supposed to be all about having fun and enjoying this festive time, not stressing out about the menu! – Nagi x

PS Speaking of not stressing out, all those sauces can be made days ahead, with the exception of the Thai one which I would not make more than 1 day ahead, just to ensure the fresh flavour is retained to the max.

PPS Way more important than the sauces is to ensure you get good fresh prawns! ORDER THEM NOW to pick up in the morning of the day you need them (ideal) but if it’s for Christmas Day, pick them up the day before. The seafood stores / fish market is where you’ll get the best quality but in all honesty, at this time of the year, you get great quality cooked prawns at Coles and Woolies too, and they are about 25 – 30% cheaper.

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LIFE OF DOZER

You’d think I was tossing prawns for him to catch. But no. Just sand. Ever seen such enthusiasm for sand??

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