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Christmas seafood recipes to get ahead with your festive feast planning

How good is an Australian seafood Christmas?
salt-baked-spanner-crab-on-white-plate

Chilli, gin and orange salt-baked spanner crab; Photo: Alicia Taylor

Alicia Taylor

When we talk Australian Christmas feasting, does it get any more ‘Strayan than a table heaving with seafood? Keep the ocean’s catch front and centre with oysters, scallops and prawn cocktails for starters, stunning fish and lobster dishes for the centrepiece mains, and plenty of options if you’re firing up the barbecue.

Photo: Alicia Taylor

How to make salmon gravlax

Photo: Ben Dearnley

Grilled lobster with beurre blanc and chives

halved-lobsters-on-colourful-plates
Photo: Alicia Taylor

Lobster with lemon myrtle, tarragon and crab butter

bowls-of-mixed-seafood-salad-and-bread-sticks
Photo: Alicia Taylor

Mixed grilled seafood salad with lemon mignonette

A baked trout on a pink oval platter, garnished with roasted onions
Photo: Alicia Taylor

Coral trout with saffron and Sherry-roasted onions

Image of halved Balmain bugs and a bunch of red grapes on a white platter
Photo: Alicia Taylor

Grilled Balmain bugs with charred grapes and ouzo

Photo: William Meppem

Oysters with two sauces

Photo: Ben Dearnley

Scampi with green mango and fried shallots

Photo: William Meppem

Grilled scallops in the shell

Five scallops in a half-shell topped with herbs and a soy dressing, on an off-white plate, on a white marble background.

Louis Tikaram’s grilled Hervey Bay scallops with soy and ginger

Freshly shucked oysters with tarragon dressing
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Freshly shucked oysters with tarragon dressing

Grilled scallops with spring onion and peanut
Photo: Chris Chen

Grilled scallops with spring onion and peanut

Photo: Ben Dearnley

Si Paradiso’s charred octopus with almonds and mandarin

Gaeta-style octopus
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Guy Grossi’s Gaeta-style octopus

Photo: Ben Dearnley

Seafood platter with chervil butter and a trio of sauces

Photo: Kara Rosenlund

Fleet’s seafood platter with Marie Rose sauce

Photo: Mikkel Vang

Crab crostini by Leonardo’s Pizza Palace

Photo: Kara Rosenlund

Louis Tikaram’s Mooloolaba prawn ceviche with green chilli dressing

Napier Quarter's mussels dressed with spring-onion  and verjuice vinaigrette
Photo: Mark Roper

Napier Quarter’s mussels dressed with spring-onion and verjuice vinaigrette

In the foreground, a grey dish holding a pile of steamed mussels with chopped tomatoes and basil, on a dark blue tablecloth. In the background, a copper pot holding more of said mussels.
Photo: William Meppem

Bar Alto’s mussels with chilli, garlic and white wine

Mussels with chilli and shiitake
Photo: Mark Roperpea

Phil Wood’s mussels with chilli and shiitake

Photo: Ben Dearnley

Lobster mousse

Photo: William Meppem

Saint Peter’s scallops with citrus dressing

Photo: Mikkel Vang

Scallop crudo by Leonardo’s Pizza Palace

Photo: Chris Chen

Snapper crudo with roe and cucumber

Photo: Ben Dearnley

White fish crudo with avocado, herbs and cucumber-lime dressing

Photo: William Meppem

Rockmelon, lime and poppy-seed prawn cocktails

Prawn and pomelo salad with roasted chilli dressing
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Prawn and pomelo salad with roasted chilli dressing

Prawn cocktail tower
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Prawn cocktail tower

Prawn and avocado with lime
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Prawn and avocado with lime

Photo: William Meppem

Prawn tostadas with corn relish and chipotle crème fraîche

Prawn and avocado salad with spiced tomato dressing
Photo: William Meppem

Prawn and avocado salad with spiced tomato dressing

Dressed crab
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Jordan Toft’s dressed crab

Lobster tagliolini
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Lobster tagliolini

Photo: William Meppem

Salt and pepper prawns with lemon

Photo: Chris Chen

Charred prawns on skewers with lime

Photo: Will Horner

Mike McEnearney’s grilled prawn, watermelon and tomato salad

Photo: Prue Ruscoe

Barbecue prawns

Photo: Prue Ruscoe

Barbecued scallops with seaweed butter and rye bread

Barbecued prawns with honey, sesame and lemon
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Barbecued prawns with honey, sesame and lemon

Liberté's garlic prawns with chilli and Thai basil
Photo: Chris Chen

Easy Christmas prawns (Liberté’s garlic prawns with chilli and Thai basil)

Photo: Ben Dearnley

Whole snapper with orange and pistachio sauce

Whole barbecued fish with chilli and peach salsa
Photo: Chris Chen

Whole barbecued fish with chilli and peach salsa

Barbecued barramundi with macadamia romesco
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Barbecued barramundi with macadamia romesco

Photo: William Meppem

Smoked ocean trout with beans, peas and mint

Photo: William Meppem

Seared tuna with dill cucumbers and potato salad

Calamari and pounded sambal with cabbage salad
Photo: Rob Shaw

Calamari and pounded sambal with cabbage salad

Lobster Australienne by Mary's Underground
Photo: Will Horner

Lobster Australienne by Mary’s Underground

Photo: William Meppem

Barbecued lobster tails with lemon drawn butter and corn-radish salad

Grilled lobster tails with roast chilli butter and corn salad
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Grilled lobster tails with roast chilli butter and corn salad

A grey plate holding cooked crab pieces covered in a black pepper sauce and garnished with coriander. A red napkin is arranged on the side.
Photo: Rob Shaw

Tony Tan’s guide to making black pepper crab

Whole barbecued snapper with green papaya salad
Photo: Chris Chen

Whole barbecued snapper with green papaya salad

Photo: Ben Dearnley

Baked golden trout with roe

Cured mackerel with tomatoes and sourdough bread
Photo: Kara Rosenlund

Fleet’s cured mackerel with tomatoes and sourdough bread

Crab with fried-shallot butter and green peppercorns
Photo: Chris Chen

Amy Hamilton’s crab with fried-shallot butter and green peppercorns

Photo: Ben Dearnley

Dan Hong’s mud crab with XO sauce

Photo: William Meppem

Lemongrass and lime-cured trout with rice paper crackers

Photo: William Meppem

Beetroot-cured ocean trout with buttermilk and soft herbs

Slow-cooked ocean trout with peas, and Meyer lemon and fennel salsa
Photo: William Meppem

Danielle Alvarez’s slow-cooked ocean trout with peas, and Meyer lemon and fennel salsa

Baked snapper with pistou
Photo: Mark Roper

Phil Wood’s baked snapper with pistou

Marinated whole snapper baked on potatoes and peppers (Dorada al fondo con patatas)
Photo: William Meppem

Frank Camorra’s dorada al fondo con patatas (marinated whole snapper baked on potatoes and peppers)

Photo: William Meppem

Barbecued whole fish with lemongrass and lime leaves

Roast ocean trout with cucumber and preserved lemon salad
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Roast ocean trout with cucumber and preserved lemon salad

salt-baked-spanner-crab-on-white-plate
Photo: Alicia Taylor

Chilli, gin and orange salt-baked spanner crab

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