1. To cook the pappadums, heat 4cm oil in a fry pan. When hot, fry the pappadums two or three at a time for two seconds, or until they puff up. Drain and cool, then store in an airtight container until needed.

2. To make the curry cream, heat 1 tbsp oil in a small frypan and gently fry the curry powder for 30 seconds, stirring, then cool. In a bowl, whisk the yoghurt, mayonnaise, mango chutney, tomato paste, turmeric and the cooled curry oil, with sea salt and pepper to taste. In a separate bowl, beat the cream until it holds firmish peaks, then fold in the yoghurt mixture and refrigerate until ready to serve.

3. To serve, finely shred the lettuce and arrange on a large platter with the prawns. Place the curry cream in a bowl and serve with kachumber and pomegranate salad, a stack of pappadums and lime wedges.

The wine match
Giant Steps 2021 Yarra Valley Rosé

Yarra Valley, Victoria, $30, 12 per cent alcohol

Just last week Giant Steps was awarded the Melbourne Royal Wine Awards' trophy for Champion Victorian Winery. Spruik that when you pour an icy cold glass of this pale marshmallow pink, pinot noir-packed rosé. It is Provence-style (desert dry) and delightfully so. Listen carefully and you'll hear those prawns sing. Astounding value so there's no need to scrimp on the seafood budget. giantstepswine.com.au

The wild card
Wildflower, Hive: Post Brood – Malfroy's Gold Wild Honey Collaboration

Sydney, NSW, $28, 7 per cent alcohol

A cleansing ale is a wonderful way to kickstart a meal, especially after a hectic morning of festive backyard cricket. A twist on the classic prawn cocktail demands something a little left of field and that's exactly what Wildflower does best. This collaboration took barrel-aged golden Australian Wild Ale and refermented it with post-brood wild honeycomb from the Blue Mountains and Central Tablelands. In a nutshell, post-brood combs were previously used by the bees as a nursery. How sweet. There's no mistaking the aromatic beeswax aroma and earthy outback notes. wildflowerbeer.com

This recipe features in our Australian Christmas menu.