When it comes to seafood there’s one rule that trumps all others… it HAS to be fresh. So, how can you be sure to pick the perfect prawn?
We got the scoop from Bayside Seafood… a fish market in Wellington Point that Andrew Mirosch swears by for the freshest of the fresh.
Here are some tips:
- Smell is the most important. Seafood should always just smell like a nice fresh ocean.
- Look for a good shiny shell.
- The eyes should be solid, firm and not shriveled or shrunken.
- The colour is another giveaway. Look for a nice bright prawn, not too dull.
- The feelers should be in tact. When a prawn is frozen they usually break off so having the feelers still attached is a sign of a good fresh prawn.
The same tips apply to green prawns (prawns that haven’t been cooked yet) but an additional clue here is to look for any black marks. Fresh green prawns shouldn’t have any at all.
SOUTHERN FRIED BUTTERMILK TIGER PRAWNS WITH LIME & GARLIC AIOLI
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 16 lrg green Qld Tiger Prawns peeled (tail on) and deveined
- 200ml buttermilk
Flour mix
- 1 cup plain flour
- 2tsp all-purpose seasoning or old bay seasoning
- 1tsp garlic powder
- 1tsp onion powder
- 1tsp Cajun spices + extra
- 1tsp cumin
- 1tsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp ground paprika
- 1 tsp each salt & black pepper
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
Chilli Lime and Garlic Aioli
- 1 cup egg mayonnaise
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- Juice 1 lime
- ½ tsp chopped chili
- Mix well
Method:
- Marinate prawns in buttermilk with 1 tsp Cajun spices for 2-3 hours
- For flour mix combine all ingredients well.
- Dip prawns in flour mix then re-dip in buttermilk then re-dip in flour
- Heat oil to 170C and fry prawns in batches
- Serve with chilli-lime-garlic aioli
