Gordon Ramsay’s Marie Rose sauce is creamy, tangy and spiked with brandy, made with homemade mayonnaise, tomato ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, lemon juice and a splash of brandy. It takes about 2 minutes and tastes nothing like the jarred version you get from the supermarket.
The recipe appears in two cookbooks. In Bread Street Kitchen he makes it for British lobster rolls with 2 tsp brandy. In Great British Pub Food he makes the same sauce under the name “cocktail sauce” for a classic prawn cocktail, using a full tablespoon of brandy or cognac instead. Both versions use the same four extras that make his Marie Rose different from the basic mayo-ketchup mix: Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, lemon juice and brandy.
In later books he moves away from Marie Rose entirely. In Ultimate Home Cooking he writes “I used to love prawn cocktails in the Seventies, but to modern tastes that mix of ketchup and mayonnaise is too heavy and gloopy,” replacing it with an Asian dressing of yoghurt, sweet chilli and lime. That tells you something: when he does make the traditional version, the brandy and Tabasco are doing heavy lifting to stop it being bland.
Gordon Ramsay Marie Rose Sauce Recipe
Course: SaucesCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy4
servings2
minutes185
kcal2
minutesGordon Ramsay’s Marie Rose sauce from Bread Street Kitchen and Great British Pub Food. Mayo, ketchup, brandy, Worcestershire and Tabasco. The prawn cocktail sauce that actually tastes of something.
Ingredients
100ml good-quality mayonnaise
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tbsp brandy or cognac
1 tsp lemon juice
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Dash of Tabasco sauce
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Mix the base: Combine the mayonnaise and tomato ketchup in a bowl. Stir until smooth and evenly pink.
- Add the extras: Stir in the brandy, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco.
- Season and taste: Add salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the lemon juice or Tabasco to your preference. Chill for at least 10 minutes before serving to let the flavours settle.
FAQs
Why does Ramsay add brandy to his Marie Rose?
This is the ingredient that separates his version from a basic mayo-ketchup mix. The brandy adds a warm, boozy sweetness that rounds out the sharpness of the ketchup and lemon. Both BSK and GBPF use it, so it’s clearly a deliberate choice and not a one-off.
In BSK he uses 2 tsp for lobster rolls, where the lobster is delicate and needs a lighter touch. In GBPF he uses a full tablespoon of brandy or cognac for prawn cocktail, where the prawns can handle a punchier sauce. Match the amount to what you’re serving it with.
Is Marie Rose sauce the same as prawn cocktail sauce?
Same sauce, different name. In BSK Ramsay calls it “Marie Rose sauce” and serves it with lobster. In GBPF he calls it “cocktail sauce” and serves it with prawns. The ingredients are identical: mayo, ketchup, brandy, Worcestershire, Tabasco, lemon.
In the US, “cocktail sauce” usually means ketchup and horseradish with no mayo at all. That’s a completely different product. If an American recipe calls for cocktail sauce, it’s not this.
Why did Ramsay stop using Marie Rose in his later books?
In Ultimate Home Cooking he replaces it entirely, writing “to modern tastes that mix of ketchup and mayonnaise is too heavy and gloopy.” His replacement is an Asian dressing made with yoghurt, sweet chilli sauce, lime and fish sauce. No mayo at all.
In Ultimate Fit Food he goes even further with a Mexican prawn cocktail: “unlike a traditional British prawn cocktail, which is smothered in mayonnaise.” Two later books, two lighter alternatives, both rejecting the classic.
Does Marie Rose sauce keep well?
Yes. It keeps in a sealed container in the fridge for 3-4 days. The flavours meld and improve after a few hours, so making it ahead is better than making it fresh. Chill it for at least 10 minutes before serving because straight from the bowl the brandy is too forward and everything tastes flat.
What else works with Marie Rose sauce beyond seafood?
Spread it inside a smash burger instead of plain mayo, or use it as a dip for crispy fries where the Tabasco and brandy give it more kick than ketchup. Anything fried or bland, Marie Rose cuts through it.
