To save yourself time on the day of serving, you can make the filling the day before and keep refrigerated until serving. The pastry cases can also be made up to 2 days in advance and kept in an airtight container to be filled just before serving.

Ingredients

Makes: 24
Time: 25 minutes

  • 2 - 3 sheets filo pastry
  • 30g unsalted butter, melted
  • 175g shelled, cooked Atlantic prawns
  • 2 tbsp mayo
  • 1 tbsp ketchup
  • A dash of hot sauce
  • A dash of Worcestershire sauce
  • Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 head of baby gem lettuce, outer leaves removed, very finely shredded
  • Cayenne pepper to dust
  • Finely chopped chives to garnish

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 200 °C/ °180 °C fan/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
  2. Brush 2 x 12 hole mini tartlet/muffin trays and the sheets of filo pastry with melted butter. Cut the sheets into 2.5cm squares.
  3. Layer 3 squares on top of each other, each at a slight angle so the corners begin to form a star shape and push into each hole of the tartlet/muffin tray.
  4. Transfer to the oven and bake for 6 - 8 minutes until golden and crisp. Remove from the tins and leave to cool completely on a wire tray.
  5. Roughly chop the prawns, reserving enough whole prawns to garnish each of the tartlets.
  6. In a bowl, mix the chopped prawns with the mayo, ketchup, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and season with salt & pepper. Stir through the shredded lettuce.
  7. Fill the crispy pastry cups with the prawn mixture, top with a whole prawn, sprinkle with chives and dust with cayenne pepper before serving.