We Aussies love our prawns – especially at Christmas time. In fact, around 40% of Australian prawn consumption occurs over Christmas! At the Sydney Fish Market site alone, more than 130 tonnes of prawns are traded during the 36-Hour Seafood Marathon, beginning at 5am on 23rd December and ending at 5pm on Christmas Eve.
While cooked Australian prawns are just perfect enjoyed as they are, peeled by hand, with a cold beer nearby, we have found five fun recipe suggestions to switch up your prawn consumption this Christmas. Check them out below.
Prawns with Zucchini, Tomato, and Mint Salsa
Recipe here
This is a tasty and refreshing way to enjoy prawns in the summertime. The fresh, minty, zingy salsa brings out a new dimension in everyone’s favourite crustacean, without adding any heaviness. A top tip for ease of clean-up is to pre-peel (or have your fishmonger pre-peel) prawns for larger groups – we know, it’s time consuming and not traditional, but it saves a lot of mess and fishy fingers in the long run, and your guests will thank you!
Barbecued Chermoula Prawns with Chickpea Salad
Recipe here
Chucking some shrimp on the barbie isn’t exactly revolutionary, but the rich Moroccan flavours in this dish definitely add something special! The bold flavours in this spicy, North-African chermoula marinade help to add depth to the simple, clean flesh of prawns, and once your prawns are marinated it’s as simple as throwing them on the BBQ until they are gorgeously charred.
Deep-fried Chilli Salt School Prawns
Recipe here
Eating prawns legs, head, tail, and all can be intimidating at first, but we promise that this dish will convince you of the method! Deep-frying ensures that every part of these tiny little school prawns turns crispy and delicious, so that popping them into your mouth is just like eating potato chips (but far tastier!). School prawns are also extremely cheap – they were most often used as bait before Asian immigrants taught us Aussies how good they could be when treated with a bit of love – and the chilli salt these are tossed in makes them extremely moreish.
Prawn and Avocado Tacos
Recipe here
While not traditionally Christmas-y, these ‘tacos de camarones’ are great for a big festive gathering, because everyone can serve themselves and choose their preferred flavourings. Just arrange everything on the table buffet-style, and let your guests have at it. It can get messy, so provide finger bowls or large serviettes… You can even thin the crème fraîche to the consistency of mayonnaise and put it in a squeeze bottle to make it easier to use, especially if you’ve got kids joining in.
Prawn San Choy Bow
Recipe here
While this popular Chinese dish is usually made with minced pork, this seafood version is a delicious variation. Another winner for big groups, your guests can spoon their own portions into lettuce leaves as they please, saving you from spending too much time in the kitchen serving up individual plates. Feel free to experiment with different vegetables too, such as bamboo shoots, baby corn, or oyster mushrooms… anything that will add texture.
