Light seafood starters are always a popular choice for a dinner party and the familiar pink prawn makes a wonderful support act for a larger meaty meal. Prawns adapt to strong flavours very well, making them the perfect primary ingredient in appetizers. Whether you opt for juicy peeled prawns coated in sauce or a couple of large, striking king prawns still in their shells this collection of prawn starter recipes contains

Chris Horridge breathes new life into a classic retro starter with his Prawn cocktail recipe, a particularly special dish as each element - from the tomato sauce to the mayonnaise - are made from scratch.

A small portion of risotto makes a wonderful Italian starter, and Pascal Aussignac tops his Poutargue risotto with some juicy grilled prawns. Vineet Bhatia's Chilli prawns recipe also uses rice as a base, with the battered prawns served on a bed of spicy rice.