Method:
1. Lightly chill the shellfish.
2. Three-quarters fill the cocktail glass with shredded lettuce (approximately 20g).
3. Place approximately 50g of shellfish on top of the lettuce and coat with cocktail sauce.
4. Garnish with quarters of tomato, quarters of lemon and a little chopped parsley.
Note:
Shellfish cocktails are also known as seafood cocktails and may consist of a single item of shellfish or a combination of two or more, e.g. crab and mussel or shrimp and lobster.
Assessment of the completed cocktail:
1. The lettuce should be neatly shredded.
2. The shellfish should be lightly chilled, moist and tender without any traces of watery liquid from either the shellfish itself or the lettuce.
3. The cocktail sauce should be pink in color and lightly and evenly coat all the shellfish. the sauce should not seep though the shellfish leaving it uncoated – this is an indication that the cocktail has been prepared too far in advance.
4. The segments of lemon should have all the pith and pips removed; the tomatoes should be neatly quartered and have the hard center core removed; the parsley should be finely chopped.