Seafood and the Australian summer go hand-in-hand. As we gather with friends and family, seafood naturally brings colour, freshness and a sense of celebration to the table. And by choosing certified sustainable seafood, we can enjoy all of that while also supporting healthy oceans.
Below, I answer a few common festive seafood questions and share my favourite dish for Christmas Day.
How can seafood offer that special or luxury option at Christmas (and be sustainable)?
You can access a huge variety of certified sustainable prawns nowadays as well as pipis, lobsters, tuna etc that are all perfect for a luxurious festive feast.
Seafood visually looks so interesting, it`s colourful, light to eat and often associated with special occasions.
Sourcing great quality seafood that is sustainable has become increasingly easier as the MSC blue fish tick label is easy to see and the public`s awareness to seek out sustainable products is also on the rise.
What makes seafood such a great ingredient for celebratory dishes?
We always seem to associate seafood with celebrations, whether it`s oysters and champagne, lobsters, raw fish or even seafood towers.
Seafood ticks so many boxes: it cooks quickly with many varieties suitable to eat raw when its super fresh like sashimi or crudo, it visually looks impressive with different shapes and colours and it is light to eat, meaning its ideal for long lazy celebrations without putting you in a food coma.
Do you have a favourite festive seafood dish to recommend?
You just can’t go past a fresh prawn cocktail. It’s something that a lot of people associate with nostalgia and perhaps the 80`s, but there are so many modern spins that you can put on it, and everyone loves prawns in some form at Christmas time.
This year I will be poaching my own MSC Skull Island Tiger Prawns and serving them with a spicy Marie Rose sauce, wedges of baby gem lettuce, sliced avocado, wheels of radish and lots of chives and dill. Serving a big platter of this is a great sharing entrée and poaching your own prawns takes it to the next level!
Choosing certified sustainable seafood
When shopping, look for the MSC blue fish tick label on packaging or at the fish counter. The label means the seafood comes from a fishery that has been independently certified to the MSC fisheries standard, helping protect ocean life and support healthy fish stocks for the future.
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Wishing you a delicious festive season
Wherever you are celebrating this summer, seafood can bring something special to the table, and choosing certified sustainable options means you are enjoying it in a way that helps care for our ocean too.
