From Spencer Gulf to Mooloolaba and beyond, Australia undoubtedly has the world’s finest prawns.
With seafood as fresh as it comes sitting prettily on display in our fishmongers’ windows, we just had to know more about one of our favourites; the prawn.
So, we sat down and chatted with Blake and Pauline from Kingfisher Seafood, and Con and Peter from Camberwell Market Seafoods to discuss their favourite prawn varieties, and what makes them so special. And like all Market fresh produce, factors such as weather and seasonality can affect availability so it’s always worthwhile touching base with your fishmonger to see what’s in stock!
Welcome to Camberwell Fresh Food Market’s Prawn Stars; a rundown of the Market’s best prawns!
Prawn Star #1: SA King Prawn
These tasty prawns come from Spencer Gulf in SA and have a sweet and crisp flavour. You’ll find them in the Market both raw and cooked which gives you the flexibility to have ‘em how you like ‘em.
Con and Peter suggest throwing them on the barbecue, as is, for a couple of minutes on each side (or until the colour has changed), before squeezing over some fresh lemon and sprinkling some salt and pepper. They’re available all year round.
Prawn Star #2: QLD Ocean King Cutlet
You’ll find these tasty morsels, already peeled, and deveined, with the tail left on, for your convenience. They come from Mooloolaba, QLD, and Peter says they’re a little softer than their SA counterparts, due to the warmer ocean waters.
Blake and Pauline say they are perfect for many dishes, from stir fry to barbecue, while Peter suggests frying them off quickly, before scattering them over homemade pizza. Con further suggests mixing them with sweet chilli and coriander before cooking quickly on a hot plate and serving with steamed Jasmine rice. They’re also available all year round.
Prawn Star #3; QLD Cooked King Prawns U/10
These tasty morsels are wild-caught and come cooked in the shell. Blake and Pauline state they have moist, medium-firm flesh and a rich flavour. Pauline recommends these as the perfect option for Christmas. They’re available most of the year.
Oh, and if you’re wondering what U/10 means, it’s simple. Big prawns are called U/10 as it means that a half kilo of prawns will be made up of less than 10 prawns.
Prawn Star #4: Lakes Entrance School Prawns
Here’s a fun fact; the Lakes Entrance School Prawns are the juveniles of the QLD Ocean King! They are caught in the local Victorian waters of Lakes Entrance before migrating to the warmer waters of QLD.
In Asian cuisine, they are often deep-fried and eaten whole; crispy, crunchy goodness. Otherwise, you can buy them cooked and enjoy the process of peeling and eating them with a squeeze of fresh lemon, and your favourite drop of crisp white wine. Divine.
They have a limited availability of 6 – 8 weeks, usually in February and March.
So, what are you waiting for Camberwell? It’s time to indulge in all the prawns! Stock up, support local.
