Top 5 seafood tips for quick meals and easy entertaining
1. Get a helping hand
As simple as seafood is to cook, it can be a little tricky to prepare. Your local fishmonger will quickly become your best foodie friend when you realise they can do this for you. Everything from cleaning, filleting and deboning fish, to peeling prawns and cracking crabs can all be done by your fishmonger. You don't even have to lift a finger!. Click to use this nifty tool to find your local fishmonger.
2. Find a quick recipe
Seafood is so quick and versatile, you can have a full meal on the table in 30 minutes or less. Instead of standing over the stove or barbecue at gatherings, you’ll actually have time to enjoy your family and friends. Why not wow your guests with this mouth-watering 30-minute Crab Linguine. Seafood is also a great option for quick mid-week meals, and this 20-minute Pan-Fried Australian Flathead is a delicious option if you’re time-poor. See more quick recipe ideas below!
3. Less is more
You need 2 things for amazing cooked seafood: Quality fresh produce and patience. Lots of beginner and experienced chefs alike are scared of over-cooking their seafood, so here are some quick cooking tips.
Pre-heat your BBQ, grill or pan to medium-high. For a fillet of fish, large prawns or squid, you’ll want to cook the first side for 2-5 minutes depending on the thickness. The best indicator is the opacity of the seafood. The sides will become opaque to about halfway up. Now flip and cook the other side for half the time. This will bring it to about ¾ cooked, so once you take it out of the pan, the residual heat will finish the cooking.
That's it! Hot pan, flip once. Perfect every time! Try this technique with Easy As Aussie BBQ Prawns, or Crispy Skin Tasmanian Atlantic Salmon.
4. Buy it ready-to-eat
Just when you thought seafood couldn’t get any easier. Take advantage of pre-cooked prawns and lobsters or fresh oysters and sashimi for grab-and-go meals and fuss-free entertaining. Serve with store bought sauces or a squeeze of lemon. Try this Fresh Australian Tuna Poke Bowl for a flavour-packed lunch option, or earn some serious kitchen-cred with this incredible Aussie Seafood Platter.
5. Ask the experts
Want to know what’s in season? Maybe you want to try something new? Don’t be afraid to bend the ear of your local fishmonger. They are always happy to answer your questions, offer advice and suggest local alternatives for items that might not be available. These guys know their way around the kitchen too, so don’t hesitate to ask for cooking pointers.
Looking for non-fishy fish for kids or picky eaters? Our local fishmonger suggested white-fleshed fish like flathead, ling, flounder, dory and leatherjacket. If you’re worried about bones, you can always ask your fishmonger to debone your fish for you. Alternatively, large fish like ling, tuna steaks, blue-eye trevalla, coral trout, emperors and mahi mahi are great options.
Find your local fishmonger here: Fish Finder
**DISCLAIMER: Great Australian Seafood is a contributing recipe partner at myfoodbook.com.au. This feature includes a mix of content sourced from Great Australian Seafood and our own opinions. Find out more about Great Australian Seafood.
