With longer days and warmer waters, a range of species come into their seasonal peak over the next few months. Here are some of our favourites.

Dusky Flathead

Like all flathead, duskies are a great, versatile fish. The flesh has a slight sweetness and is low in oiliness, with the medium textured flesh flaking away easily. You can do just about anything with a dusky flathead – steam, poach, panfry, bake … One of our favourites for warmer months is barbecuing a whole dusky. Keep it simple with some butter, garlic and lemon in the cavity, and wrap it in foil to prevent it drying out. It’s great fish for kids too, with relatively few bones that are easily removed.

Silver Trevally

Silver trevally is coming into its peak over the next month or so. It’s another versatile fish, with few bones that are easily removed. It has a true, mildly fishy flavour and is slightly oily with fine flakes. Despite its oiliness it can dry out when cooking, so wrapping it is a good idea. It’s also a great fish to marinate. We like to make a simple marinade from olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and some fresh herbs, marinade for 15 minutes and panfry. It’s also great raw, marinated in some soy and ginger.

Spanner Crab

Spanner crabs are hitting their peak right now. They have beautiful soft and moist flesh with a distinctive sweetness. They’re a tough customer with a thick upper shell but the flesh is worth it! It’s delicate and delicious in a salad, pasta or risotto. Or simply arm yourself with a seafood fork, a good mayonnaise and appreciate this crab’s luxurious flavour.

Whiting

We’re getting some great sand and trumpeter whiting in at the moment. Both lovely, smaller estuarine fish that are hugely versatile. They have a delicate sweet flavour, moist flesh and small bones that are easily removed. The skin is edible so they’re a great fish to cook whole. Gently barbecue some whole whiting until just cooked and serve with lemon, capers and garlic butter for an easy but impressive spring-time meal.

Redfish

Another fantastic fish to grab while at its peak, Redfish has a lovely delicate flavour and nice big, robust flakes. This makes it ideal for soups and fishcakes, but it’s also a great fish cooked in the pan, oven or on the barbie. It’s fabulous with Thai flavours and we love to add it to a tom yum soup, or a laksa for something heartier, where it gives a pleasant bouncy fish texture.

Game Fish

It’s time for the big guys, Mahi Mahi and Opah, both stunning line-caught game fish who like warmer waters. It’s always exciting to get these big fish in as they look fantastic. They can be a bit daunting for your average punter though, so rest assured these are both great all-rounders when it comes to eating. Opah (also called Moonfish) is a versatile, meaty fish that can be treated similarly to tuna, including preparing it as sashimi. Ask in-store for some more ideas because the various cuts from this fish can cover it all. Mahi Mahi is also a good firm fish that makes for fantastic steaks, soups and curries. It has flavoursome flesh and responds to gentle cooking – don’t overdo it! Mahi Mahi means strong in Hawaiian, but overcook it and it’ll mean chewy. Treat it kindly and it’s delicious!

Winter is a great season for seafood and fish. Here are some of our current favourites. Come and grab some from the market or ask us to cook them up as takeaway!

King Fish

We’ve had some absolutely cracking, locally caught kingfish in lately. This is one of the most versatile and delicious fish the ocean has to offer. It can be cooked whole or as fillets, steaks or cutlets. It can be baked, grilled, barbecued, deep fried and it’s from flesh also means it’s great added to curries, pasta sauces or stirfries. It’s also one of the best fishes to consume raw, making it perfect for sashimi, ceviches, crudos, and carpaccios. We also love that it’s a low waste fish. Its frame and head are perfect for homemade fish stock. Forget about salmon or Barra and go for true local class. In store now.

John Dory

Dories are plentiful in winter. These deep sea beauties typically spend the warmer months at depths of one kilometre but move to shallower waters in winter and fatten up. John Dory is one of the most versatile fish species, with a mild sweet flavour, moist flesh with with fine flakes and not too many bones. Wrap fillets in foil or banana leaves and grill or barbecue to appreciate the delicate flavours. Dory is also fantastic steamed whole, poached, baked or panfried. It’s delicious with the simple fresh flavours of citrus, herbs and a little butter.

Mussels

Mussels are a winter comfort dish worldwide and we love a serve of Moules Frites – mussels in a pot of broth served with hot chips. It’s a French classic and simple to make. Cook the mussels in your choice of broth, some white wine, garlic and herbs for around 5 minutes, until the mussels are all open. Serve immediately with golden, crunchy chips on the side.

Sardines

We’re big fans of the humble sardine. These fast growing, fully sustainable little dynamos are one of the richest sources of omega-3 oils available. Add high levels of calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin D, potassium and niacin and they’re practically a multivitamin pill! Readily available year round, they’re a consistently affordable fish that should be on everyone’s shopping list. Particularly in winter when we all need an extra shot of vitamins. Keep it simple when it comes to sardines. Dust fillets lightly with flour and fry a hot, lightly oiled pan. For the ultimate winter comfort food, serve the fillets on freshly toasted sourdough with a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice. Sensational!

What: Also called Deep Sea Bream. Saltwater fish, caught off the coast and on reefs. Light fleshed with a strong sea flavour. Serves 1-2 people.

How: Fillet and remove skin and bones. Pan fry in seasoned flour, serve with a light salad.

What: Saltwater fish, caught off rocks and on reefs. Light fleshed with a sweet flavour. Can serve 2-6 people.

How: Best barbecued or as sashimi with a seaweed salad.

What: Saltwater fish, caught in most waterways and off the coast. Light fleshed  with a sweet flavour. Serves 1-2 people.

How: Best pan fried in seasoned flour (always cook in flour as flesh is very delicate) and served with a light salad.

What: Saltwater fish, caught in most waterways and off the coast. Light flesh with a sweet flavour. Serves 1-2 people.

How: Remove head, spike and skin (peels off easily once head is removed). Bake in aluminium foil with leek, lemon and garlic. Serve with roast vegetables.

What: Saltwater fish caught in most waterways and off the coast. Light fleshed
with a very sweet flavour. Serves 1-2 people.

How: Best pan fried in seasoned flour and served with roast vegies, a light salad and a beer. A true Central Coast classic.

What: Small to medium sized school prawns caught in Tuggerah Lakes and Hawkesbury River mouth. They have a delicate sweet flesh.

How: Try marinating in hot Szechuan spices and flour and pan frying until pink. Serve with lemon and a cold beer.

What: Also known as Mulloway. Saltwater fish caught off rocks and off the coast. Light fleshed with a mild, sweet flavour. Serves 2-4 people.

How: Delicious barbecued on a hotplate or baked whole. Fillets are perfect pan fried or baked. The firm flakes also makes it ideal for fish stews and soups.

What: Saltwater fish, caught in most waterways and off the coast. Light fleshed with a strong flavour. Serves 1-2 people.

How: Best stuffed and baked whole, or pan fried as fillets.

What: Saltwater fish caught off rocks and on reefs. Light fleshed with a very sweet flavour. Serves 1-4 people.

How: Smaller fish are best stuffed and roasted whole. For larger fish, fillet but leave the skin on, and barbecue on a hot plate, skin side down.

Ingredients

4 large mullet fillets.

SALAD
225g frozen (or fresh) broad beans.
120g frozen peas.
250g punnet cherry tomatoes, halved.
1 cup watercress sprigs.
125ml extra virgin olive oil.
60ml or white wine vinegar.