Eating fish on the Friday before Easter Sunday stems back to Roman Catholic customs from the early 30s of the Common Era. You could say it’s been common practice for bass-ically forever.
That joke may be a pile of carp, but these tips from the experts at FishCo on how to dish up a seafood platter on the Easter long weekend certainly aren’t.
Always buy your seafood last before going home and use cold bags and ice. At FishCo the ice is free, so be sure to ask for some.
When you get home, always put your fresh fish and seafood straight in the fridge. Cook and eat within two days.
The benefit of shopping at a family-run fish market like FishCo, rather than a supermarket, simply comes down to quality.
Owner John Fragopoulos frequents the early morning auctions at the Sydney Fish Markets, bringing down the catch of the morning to be sold fresh here in Canberra that same day.
The Easter table will differ from family to family. If you prefer to have a centrepiece dish, you cannot go wrong with a whole salmon, snapper, or trout, says John’s daughter, Nicholetta.
“A whole oven-baked fish is so simple with just some lemon, garlic and freshly chopped herbs. Wrap it in foil and pop in the oven at 180 degrees for as long as it takes to cook the size of the fish – it’s a fool-proof way to do it.”
On the other hand, if the barbie is at the centre of your family’s celebrations, go for fish steaks or smaller whole fish.
“My failsafe is to grill some fish fillets, cooking them until they’re no longer opaque, then drizzle with a bit of olive oil and cracked pepper.”
It’s no surprise that oysters and prawns are a massive sell out each year. Cooked prawns are an Aussie holiday classic – “Most people eat them as they are, simple and easy,” says Nicholetta.
Oysters Kilpatrick is one of the most popular ways to dish up oysters on a special occasion. All you will need to try the FishCo family recipe is:
INGREDIENTS
- 2 Doz small or 1 Doz large freshly shucked FishCo oysters
- Bacon, diced or sliced into 2cm thin strips
- Worcestershire sauce
- Chopped fresh parsley
- Rock salt for cooking/serving
METHOD
- Spread rock salt on a baking tray as a base to hold the oysters while cooking. Nestle the oysters into the rock salt.
- Add bacon to each oyster – as much or as little as you like.
- Sprinkle each oyster with Worcestershire sauce.
- Place backing tray under grill and grill on medium-high, until the bacon is crisp.
- Remove from heat. Place baking tray onto heat-proof serving plate, sprinkle oysters with fresh chopped parsley and serve.
Happy Easter, from the FishCo Family to yours!
For trading hours and specials, visit www.fishcodownunder.com.au
