Discover the best sustainable options, learn how to select fresh, high-quality seafood, and get tips on preparing delicious, fresh dishes. Follow our seafood guide to support healthier oceans while enjoying the finest seafood at your table!
Dive into our Comprehensive Seafood Guide
Octopus
Available in various sizes, look for firm, resilient flesh with a pleasant sea smell. Some fishmongers will clean them.
To buy
Octopus are available whole, and can be bought in varying sizes. Look for firm, resilient flesh with a pleasant sea smell. Some fishmongers will clean them.
To store
Wash and clean under cold running water then place on a plate or tray, cover with damp paper towel and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge and use within two days, or freeze and use within three months.
To prepare
Ask your fishmonger to clean your octopus for you, or if doing it yourself, either cut off the head entirely below the eyes or slit open the back of the head to remove innards. Remove beak as well.
To cook
Octopus tend to go through stages during cooking, from being tender, to being tough, and then back to tender again. So it’s best to either quickly cook (if baby octopus) or use a slow-cooking method (for larger ones) for a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
With the exception of baby octopus, which can be cooked quickly, the larger ones tend to require tenderising in some way. The most popular way is to poach it for 1-1½ hours or until tender when spiked with a fork. Suitable methods of cooking are barbecuing, pan-frying, poaching, braising. Use in stir-fries or salads.
Try Chargrilled Greek Octopus Salad with Grilled Lemons and Rocket (Pictured above)
Salmon
As with choosing all fish, use your eyes as well as nose. Whole fish should have bright bulging eyes and firm flesh with a gleam about it.
To buy
Salmon is available as a whole fish, cutlets or fillets. As with all fish, always use your eyes and nose when selecting. Whole fish should have bright bulging eyes, firm flesh with a gleam about it and a pleasant sea smell. When buying fillets or cutlets, choose pieces that look moist, avoid any with brown spots or any that show signs of ‘gaping’, where the flakes of the flesh start separating. Look for bright orange flesh.
To store
If whole, scale and clean the fish, wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
If buying fillets and cutlets, transfer the portions onto a clean plate or tray, cover with plastic wrap and store in fridge for up to 2-3 days.
To prepare
Get your fishmonger to scale and clean the whole fish for you. With fillets, you can buy them skinned and with pin bones removed. If not, the retailer can do it for you.
To cook
Salmon can lend itself to many ways of cooking. It’s brilliant cooked on the barbecue, pan-fried, poached, cured, baked and even eaten raw. It’s ideally eaten when not fully cooked, but still rare in the centre. This will keep the fish moist and succulent. Allow 280-300g of whole fish per person. Two sides of filleted salmon should feed 8-12 people. A 150‑180g fillet or cutlet serves one.
Try Cured Salmon With Buckwheat and Millet Blinis (Pictured above)
Prawns
Look for a firm body, glossy shell and firmly attached heads. Avoid any blackness around heads and legs. They should have a fresh sea smell.
To buy
Prawns can be purchased either cooked or green (raw) and either shelled or unshelled. In 1kg you should get around 25-30 medium-sized prawns, approx. 500g of meat.
In both cooked or green prawns, avoid buying any that have signs of blackness around the head and legs.
To store
It is always best to use prawns as soon as possible, but if necessary, store them with shell on in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
Prawns can be frozen for up to three months. To do this, place unpeeled prawns into containers, cover with water and freeze. Then to defrost, rinse under cold water to get the defrosting started, and allow to finish defrosting in the fridge over a day or two.
To prepare
When ready, peel cooked or green prawns, pull off head then remove shell and legs. Leave the tail on if you wish. To devein, pull away the dark digestive tract – make this easier by using a sharp skewer to pick beneath the vein. Or, remove by slitting the back of the prawn with a sharp paring knife.
Save heads and shells to make a delicious prawn stock.
Try Prawns with Watermelon and Feta Salad (Pictured above)
To cook
Use green prawns in dishes that require cooking. They can be grilled, pan-fried, baked or boiled. Reheating cooked prawns will make them dry and tough.
Prawns don’t take long to cook – generally 3-5 minutes. It is better to undercook, as the residual heat will finish them off. When cooked, prawns become orange and white in colour. Overcooking will result in a dry, rubbery texture.
Use cooked prawns in dishes that don’t require cooking, such as a prawn cocktail or with a squeeze of lemon juice.
Oysters
Generally, you will find oysters shucked. If bought unshucked, they should still be alive with the shell tightly closed.
To buy
Oysters are available by the half dozen or dozen. There are many varieties. Generally, you will find oysters will be shucked (opened). If bought unshucked, they should still be alive with the shell tightly closed.
To store
It is best to eat oysters as soon as you buy them, but they can be kept for up to two days. Both shucked and unshucked oysters must be kept in the fridge. Put unshucked oysters in a bowl and cover with a wet cloth or keep in a hessian bag. For shucked oysters, lay them on a clean plate and cover with plastic wrap.
To prepare
For unshucked oysters, rinse shells to remove any sand and grit. Place oyster onto board, flat side up. Use a cloth to hold the oyster with one hand, then hold your oyster knife (available from good homeware stores) in your other hand and insert blade between shell at the narrow end and lever off top shell. Rinse again. Bought shucked oysters do not require rinsing.
To cook
Many people prefer to eat oysters ‘natural’ – uncooked – but you can also try grilling, frying or steaming. Serve with lemon or lime juice, or mayonnaise-based sauces.
Crayfish
Buy whole or tail only – most of the meat is in the tail – and cooked, frozen or live.
To buy
Crayfish are best bought alive. Once they die, the flesh deteriorates quite quickly, unless frozen immediately.
If buying cooked, look for a crayfish with no discolouration, especially around its joints, and with limbs and head intact and a fresh sea smell.
If buying alive, look for one that is lively, with all its limbs intact. Choose one that is heavy in proportion to its size. When buying live crayfish, it is best to cook them within a day.
To store
Store live crayfish in a crate, in a cool spot, covered with wet hessian or newspaper. Do not immerse them in water as this will kill them.
Place cooked crayfish on a tray, cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for use within 1-2 days.
To prepare
Because a crayfish is so big, you need to cut it open in stages. First, place on cutting board on its back. Using a sharp, sturdy knife, cut from midsection through tail. Spin 180° and cut through the head. Using your hands, gently pull halves apart.
To cook
For live crayfish, the most humane way to kill them is to place them in the freezer for 45-60 minutes or until they are immobile, but not frozen. This gently puts them to sleep. Alternatively, place them in a salted ice slurry for 10-15 minutes. Dropping live crayfish straight into boiling water is thought to toughen the meat.
When raw, crayfish are usually brown with mottling of green or blue. The shell turns a bright orange colour when cooked. Raw crayfish meat will be translucent, and once cooked, it will turn white and have a slightly flaky texture.
A simple way to cook is to place crayfish in a large saucepan of cold water, cover with lid, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. A good rule is to allow 15 minutes of cooking per 500g of meat (in the shell).
Mix and Match Sauces that are perfect with Seafood
These delicious global flavours could go with almost any seafood. Don’t just keep them for Christmas Day either – these will take you all through summer.
Champagne Sabayon
Bring a medium saucepan of water to a simmer. Place 1 cup sparkling wine, 8 egg yolks and 2 tsp sugar and in a medium heatproof glass bowl. Set bowl over pan and whisk continuously for 6-7 minutes or until mixture is thick (should reach 160°C on a cook’s thermometer). Remove from heat and stir through 1 finely chopped shallot. Sprinkle over 1 tbsp finely chopped chives. Serve immediately on the side with your seafood.
Zesty Lime Mayonnaise
Makes approx. 1¼ cups
In a small food processor, combine 3 egg yolks and 2 tsp Dijon mustard. With motor still running, gradually pour in 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil in a steady stream until thick and creamy then ¼ cup lime juice. Season with sea salt flakes, freshly ground black pepper and the fine zest of 1 lime.
Salt and Pepper Coating
Makes approx. 2 tbsp
Combine 1 tbsp sea salt flakes, 1½ tsp freshly ground black pepper, 1 tsp sugar and ½ tsp Chinese five-spice. Set aside. Massage 1 egg white into 1kg of your chosen seafood, then coat in 1½ cups potato flour, dusting off excess. Pour vegetable oil into a wok until one-third full. Heat to 180°C on a cook’s thermometer then deep-fry seafood, in batches, until cooked and golden. Drain on paper towel. While seafood is still hot, sprinkle over 1 tbsp of seasoning to coat. Serve with extra seasoning on the side.
Peri-Peri Rub
Makes ⅓ cup, enough for approx. 1.5kg seafood
Combine 1 tbsp caster sugar; 3 tsp paprika; 2 tsp each of dried oregano, ground ginger, ground cardamom, garlic powder, onion powder and sea salt flakes; and 1 tsp each of cayenne pepper and cinnamon. Rub spice mix onto your chosen seafood (about 1½-2 tbsp of spice rub per 500g of seafood). Heat a frying pan, chargrill pan or barbecue plate over a medium heat. Spray or pour a little extra virgin olive oil then cook seafood to your liking. Serve with grilled lemon wedges. Store any leftover rub mixture in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 2 months. For a moist rub, add a little extra virgin olive oil to spice mixture while coating seafood.
XO butter
Makes 2 x 10cm logs
Put 250g softened butter in a small bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer until fluffy. Add 3 tbsp XO sauce (available from good Asian groceries), 3 tbsp chopped coriander sprigs, 3-4 crushed garlic cloves, 2 tsp lime zest, 1½ tbsp lime juice and 1 deseeded, finely chopped small chilli. Beat until combined and creamy. Divide mixture in half and roll each portion between 2 sheets of baking paper until 10cm long. Twist ends of paper. Chill until firm. Slice XO butter and add to stir-fries or place on freshly cooked hot seafood and allow to melt.
Bloody Mary Sauce
Makes 1¼ cups
Combine 1 cup tomato passata, 2 tbsp each of lime juice and vodka, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 2 tsp Tabasco, 1 tsp horseradish cream, and sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper to taste. If serving with oysters, drizzle over oysters and garnish with finely chopped celery. If serving as a dipping sauce, stir finely chopped celery through sauce and serve on the side. To make a bloody mary mayonnaise, add ⅓ cup mayonnaise to sauce.
