• 4 eggs, preferably free-range
• 150 ml home-made mayonnaise
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 16 shrimps or 8 cooked prawns
• a few lettuce leaves

Garnish

• sprigs of watercress
• a few whole shrimps or prawns

Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil; lower the eggs gradually into the water one by one, bring the water back to the boil and cook for 10 minutes; pour off the water and cover the eggs with cold water. When cold, shell and cut in half lengthways. Sieve the yolks, reserve a little for garnish, mix the remainder with 3–4 tablespoons of home-made mayonnaise and taste for seasoning.

Put 1 or 2 cooked shrimps or prawns into each egg white and spoon some egg mayonnaise mixture into each one; round off the top to look like whole eggs. Then thin the remaining mayonnaise with hot water to coating consistency and coat the eggs carefully. Sprinkle with the reserved egg yolk.

Serve on a bed of lettuce and garnish with sprigs of watercress and a few whole shrimps or prawns.