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by The Team
Have you ever been tasked to assemble a seafood spread for your friends and family on Christmas Eve? Don’t stress, it’s a golden opportunity to make something deliciously memorable for your loved ones before the year ends. After all, seafood spreads are a proven crowd-pleaser.
What dishes should you include? How do you know if you’re serving quality fish? What are the elements of a perfect seafood platter? We’ll discuss all that and more. So, let’s get to planning!
People spoil themselves during get-togethers, and family gatherings are no exception. With endless seafood on offer, you can bet that all your guests would be trying as many varieties as possible. Uncle Jack didn’t come across town for a surplus of stews, right?
The first step to creating an impressive seafood spread is to decide what to include. It goes without saying that you should vary your dishes. Serve something hot and cold. Choose foods with different textures. Add some sides and salads. Offer an appetizer that’s varied enough from the mains. What’s great about family gatherings is that, since you’ll be serving people close to your heart, you don’t have to guess what they like.
Plan the food around your guest list. Is baked seafood avocado or lemon juice cooked fish a family tradition? Cook more of it. Do you share a common love for bbq king prawns or grilled squid with your siblings? Make it your centrepiece. And since you’re the host, you can slip in your favourite seafood dish (like a delicious garlic butter lobster)!
Be aware of any health considerations. For example, most fish are great at helping you to maintain healthy cholesterol levels, but salmon, tuna and swordfish are excellent options that are low in salt and rich in protein and healthy fat.
Short of ideas on what to serve? Whether you love the classic Christmas platter, less traditional seafood dishes or a combination of both, we’ve put together a mouth-watering collection of recipes that will have the whole family talking. From the timeless creamy mud crab to more interesting dishes like sakamushi snapper, these Instagram-worthy options are perfect for sharing.
Many of these recipes are quick, simple and easy to create, meaning you don’t need to spend a week prepping the menu. For your centrepiece, choose a delicious whole fish, lobster or those juicy prawns that everybody loves. Then, pick at least two from each remaining category to complete the ensemble. Pair the courses with the appropriate bottles of wine for your tastiest Christmas yet!
Now that you’ve decided on what to serve, think about where to source the main ingredients as well as the herbs and seasoning. You might be brave enough to face the Christmas weekend crowds by heading to the local market, grocery store or fishmonger, or you can avoid the rush by getting fresh seafood delivered right to your door. If you choose the former, you can personally search for season-appropriate varieties and check the quality of the fish. Take note of the following:
As for shellfish like clams, oysters, scallops and mussels, be sure they’re free of dirt and are tightly closed. If slightly open, you just need to tap them lightly and they will close back up, Otherwise, don’t buy.
If you prefer to order online, pick a reputable store to ensure quality. Often, online stores have a wider selection of whole fish and other frozen or fresh seafood. There are also stores like Manettas that deliver the best seafood platters, fruits and veggies to different parts of Australia. That means you don’t have to hop from one stall to another to buy your ingredients.
Like markets , online stores should also have friendly, knowledgeable staff whocan answer any question you might have. Do you want to know what type of lobster works best for a particular recipe? How long can you refrigerate oysters before they go bad? Is the beautiful-looking trout a good substitute for salmon? Some online stores offer top-notch support so you’ll feel like you’re talking to your local fishmonger.
With online delivery, you get all that plus the convenience of not having to leave the house and experience the Holiday market rush—which is a luxury if you have a busy schedule.
You’ve picked the right seafood and bought all the ingredients you need for your chosen recipes. Now it’s time to impress! Festive or intimate, you can make fantastic food for your guests on every holiday occasion. But be reminded that you don’t have to do it all. Share tasks with your family members; the combined effort will make the occasion even more memorable.
Fish is delicate. Depending on the type, the ideal marinating time is up to 30 minutes for a fillet and up to two hours for a firm fish steak. Going beyond that can overseason the piece and give it a mushy texture.
Who isn’t a fan of dips? If you’re making a seafood platter, it might help if you explore the world of dips and perhaps create your own recipe later on! Find inspiration from these impressive, mouthwatering pairings:
Before grilling, brush the fish with mayonnaise first to prevent it from sticking to the grates. Don’t worry about your end product tasting like mayo because the flavour will be gone by the time you’re done cooking.
Preparing a great seafood spread is a treat in itself. Put the ideas and information above to good use and watch your guests go crazy over all the delicious food on the table. As clichéd as it may sound, our last advice is to enjoy the whole thing. It’s not every day that you get to be head chef for a dinner party!.
Don’t forget to bring out your favourite wine or make a refreshing pitcher of mango or lemon juice, just right summer!
