In Western Australia, where we're blessed with over 20,000 kilometers of pristine coastline, nothing elevates the festive Christmas table quite like the addition of our abundant, fresh seafood. Celebrate glorious WA seafood and take advantage of what’s in our own backyard by supporting our local fisheries. Josh Catalano, Fishmonger and Restaurateur gives his advice on how to purchase and prepare seafood for your next gathering.
How to purchase seafood
Fresh seafood looks fresh. Fish have clear bulging eyes, red gills and are firm to the touch; whilst fillets should be moist and appealing to look at. Purchase shellfish raw where possible and they should smell fresh without any discoloration of the joints. Prawns are usually snap frozen at sea so unless your fishmonger has told you they are fresh, Josh suggests you buy them frozen.
How to clean a whole fish
If you are not confident, Josh suggests asking your fishmonger to clean it. If you decide to try your hand at cleaning a whole fish, you’ll need a fish scaler, sharp knife, cutting board and gloves.
Three steps to cleaning your fish:
• To scale the fish, run your scaler from the tail to the head – moving against the natural swimming position of the fish.
• Removing the gills can be tricky. Expose the gills by lifting the head then make a cut where the body meets the head. Turn the fish upside down so you can see inside and cut where you see the gills attached. Be careful pulling them out.
• Gutting the fish is easy. Hold the fish firmly, then cut up through the stomach from the anus to the head. Open the fish up and remove all the stomach and intestines, then wash the fish thoroughly under running water and pat dry.
What to serve seafood with
For the best side dishes to serve alongside your seafood, Josh recommends adding citrus and keeping things light and fresh. Dishes such as fennel and orange salad, chargrilled zucchini, a zesty pangrattato and fresh tomato salad with anchovies and lemon zest are all great options. But, as Josh passionately explains, the side dishes he prefers to serve with seafood is actually just more seafood; cooked in its natural state or raw.
He suggests freshly cooked whole prawns with a mayonnaise based dipping sauce, freshly shucked oysters, sashimi kingfish, scallops in the half shell with garlic butter, a pickled octopus salad; or even marinated Fremantle sardines on a grilled sliced baguette are all great compliments to your seafood mains.
Josh Catalano says “The best thing you can do is build a relationship with your local fishmonger. Always ask them what is in season and their personal choice for dinner tonight. I love it when a customer comes into my shop and says ‘That fish you gave me last week was amazing, what do you recommend this week?”
Whether you're exploring the market for the freshest catch or carefully cleaning a whole fish, we hope you find these handy tips help you to seamlessly create memorable seafood feasts for your loved ones. Cheers to a delightful celebration filled with the goodness of fresh WA seafood!
Original article by Sarah Schmitt, published in Edition 3 of Home is Where The Hart Is.
PHOTOGRAPHY - Claire McFerran, Gathering Light
FOOD STYLIST - Kate Flower
