Ingredients:

  • 1 pound (450g) large raw prawns, shell-on (fresh or frozen, thawed)
  • 1 lemon, halved
  • 1 tbsp Old Bay seasoning (optional)
  • 12 fresh oysters, in their shells
  • Crushed ice, for serving
  • 1 cooked Dungeness crab (about 2 lbs / 900g), or 1 lb (450g) cooked crab meat
  • 1 pound (450g) fresh mussels, scrubbed and debearded (Optional)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil (Optional)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced (Optional)
  • ½ cup (120ml) dry white wine (Optional)
  • 1/2 pint of cockles in vinegar
  • 1/2 pint of mussels in vinegar
  • 1/2 pint of whelks in vinegar
  • 1/2 pint of roll mops
  • ½ cup (120ml) mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
  • Lemon wedges, for serving
  • Tabasco sauce, for serving
  • ¼ cup (60ml) red wine vinegar (for mignonette sauce)
  • 1 tbsp finely minced shallot (for mignonette sauce)
  • Pinch of freshly ground black pepper (for mignonette sauce)
  • Crusty bread or crackers, for serving
  • Fresh parsley sprigs
  • Lemon slices

Instructions:

  1. Steam or poach the prawns with lemon and Old Bay seasoning until pink and cooked through. Chill until ready to assemble.
  2. Carefully shuck the oysters just before serving, keeping them cold on crushed ice.
  3. If using a whole crab, crack it open and clean it. If using crab meat, ensure it's chilled.
  4. Sauté garlic in olive oil, add mussels and white wine. Steam until mussels open. Discard any that don’t open (Optional).
  5. Whisk together mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and dill for the prawn dipping sauce. Prepare mignonette sauce, if desired.
  6. Arrange crushed ice on the platter. Artfully arrange the prawns, oysters, crab (or crab meat), mussels (if using), cockles, mussels in vinegar, whelks and roll mops on the platter.
  7. Garnish with parsley sprigs and lemon slices. Serve immediately with sauces, lemon wedges, Tabasco, and crusty bread.