Proper Prawn Cocktail Lentil Chips, 85g

Proper Prawn Cocktail in the 85g sharing bag brings the sweet, tangy flavour of the old party starter to a lentil chip, in a size for a table of people. The label divides the bag into four 20g servings. The full product name on the pack is Lentil based chips with prawn cocktail flavour seasoning.

The ingredients

According to the published pack listing, the chips are made from lentil flour (29%), potato starch, corn flour, vegetable oils (rapeseed and sunflower), sugar, rice flour, salt, natural flavouring, an acidity regulator (citric acid), Chilean salt, onion powder, tomato powder, garlic powder, black pepper and paprika extract for colour.

A sauce, not a seafood

Prawn cocktail sauce, the pink Marie Rose, is mayonnaise and tomato ketchup with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of pepper. This seasoning follows the same idea in powder form: sugar and tomato for the ketchup, citric acid for the lemon, black pepper for the warmth, and onion and garlic underneath. The natural flavouring completes the picture. There is no seafood of any kind on the list, which is why the pack can say the chips are suitable for vegans.

Why lentils

Lentil flour, at 29%, is the largest single ingredient. It gives the chip a mild, slightly nutty background and more protein than a potato crisp: the label gives 9.8g per 100g, against roughly 6g to 7g for the fried sliced potato crisps in our range. Potato starch, corn flour and rice flour complete the base, and none of them contains gluten.

Numbers per serving

The label gives, per 20g serving, 93 kcal (392 kJ), 3.9g of fat, 0.3g of saturates, 12g of carbohydrate, 0.8g of sugars, 0.5g of fibre, 2g of protein and 0.4g of salt. That serving is about 5% of an average adult's daily energy reference intake and 7% of the salt. Per 100g it is 467 kcal (1961 kJ), 19.5g of fat, 1.6g of saturates, 62g of carbohydrate, 4g of sugars, 2.3g of fibre, 9.8g of protein and 2g of salt.

Reading the front of the pack

On the UK front of pack scale, per 100g, fat at 19.5g is red, just over the 17.5g line. Saturates at 1.6g are amber, only just. Sugars at 4g are green. Salt at 2g is red, so the 20g serving on the label is the sensible portion.

Salt, twice

The list names two salts: ordinary salt and Chilean salt, which is salt from Chile named as its own ingredient. Together they make this a salty chip, 2g per 100g on the label, so the balance of the flavour leans on salt and sugar as much as on tomato.

Sweet and sharp

Sugar comes before salt on this list, and citric acid follows. That pairing, sweet against sharp, is what makes prawn cocktail sauce taste the way it does, and it is why this chip tastes livelier than a plain sea salt lentil chip even though both are built on the same base.

Allergens and diet

No allergens from the UK list of 14 are highlighted in the published ingredients, and no crustacean ingredient is listed. The allergy advice says the chips may contain soya. The pack says they are suitable for vegans and vegetarians, carries a gluten free claim and states no palm oil. Recipes and factory arrangements change, so check the allergy advice on the pack you receive.

How the chips are made

The published listing does not say how the chips are cooked. They are formed from a mix of lentil flour and starches rather than sliced, and the seasoning is applied afterwards. The label says the bag is packaged in a protective atmosphere and advises storing it in a cool, dry place. The pack names Proper as the maker.

Serving the bag

Prawn cocktail suits a retro party: set the bowl beside prawn and lettuce cups, a plate of sandwiches and cheese and pineapple on sticks. For a vegan table, it gives the flavour of the starter without any seafood. It also works with a cold glass of lemonade or a light lager.

A retro party menu

Put this bowl beside a platter of sandwiches, cheese and pineapple on sticks, sausage rolls for the meat eaters and a jug of lemonade, and you have the classic party table in one go. The vegan statement on the pack means the chips suit every guest who avoids animal products, and the gluten free claim helps with coeliac guests; anyone with an allergy should still read the pack.

In the kitchen

Crushed, the chips make a tangy, gluten free topping for a prawn cocktail itself, adding the flavour of the sauce and a crunch. A handful over a tomato and avocado salad works too.

The packaging

The published recycling guidance says the whole packaging can be recycled with carrier bags at large supermarkets and should not go in home recycling.

Other sizes and flavours

The same flavour comes in a five bag multipack of 14g bags. In the same 85g size we stock Proper Sea Salt, Barbecue, Salt and Vinegar, All the Cheese and Hot Sauce House.

Storage

Keep the bag in a cool, dry place, as the label advises, and clip it after opening.

Sizes of Proper Prawn Cocktail Lentil Chips we stock

Figures as published on each pack's label.

The tasting notes on this page are our own editorial assessment against the current pack format and the brand's published description.