Seafood isn't usually connected with the Autumn season – Australians most often associate it with sunny summer days by the beach – but there are so many delicious ways to use seafood in Autumn cooking.
Despite popular belief, seafood is often cheaper than red meat if you choose the right species, and it provides a huge host of health benefits that we can all use at the change of the season!
Here are five of our favourite Autumnal seafood recipes to inspire you this season.
Deep-Fried Eastern School Whiting
Whiting refers to a range of small fish, that are most often sold whole due to their size. In the colder months, most varieties of Whiting come into their best form, as the colder waters cause them to put on more fat.
One of the best ways to enjoy these fish is whole, as filleting is labour intensive and means that you lose a lot of meat and flavour! Deep-frying, while not exactly healthy, is the perfect cooking method for the colder months, and results in crunchy, satisfying fish that you can eat like a chicken drumstick!
Baked Butterflied Australian Sardines with Parmesan Sage Crust
Recipe Here
Sardines have almost too many health benefits to count – check out this article for more details about their nutritional value – making them the perfect species to enjoy in the colder months. Just make sure you're buying fresh Sardines, as the tinned versions don’t even come close to the taste of fresh!
The rich taste of this fish marries well with other strong flavours such as parmesan, garlic and sage, producing a full-bodied dish that just needs a lemony salad and some crusty bread to produce a delicious, quick meal.
Leatherjackets with Pistachio & Olive Crust
Recipe Here
Leatherjackets, also called Ocean Jackets, are a lesser-known species, and therefore super affordable! Thanks to their evenly distributed fat and decent oil levels, they are also one of Australia's most versatile fish. Usually sold as skinned trunks (the skin is inedibly tough, hence the name), this fish can be cooked as is, as fillets, or in cutlets, braised in sauce, in a curry, encrusted with nuts and pan-fried (like in the linked recipe) - you name it!
Laksa Lemak
Recipe Here
Laksa is an extremely popular dish in Malaysia; this creamy coconut milk laksa is the version best known in Australia and makes the perfect hearty, cold-weather dish. The beauty of laksa is that it can be adapted to suit your own taste. Add more or less fish sauce, lime juice, or sambal at the end, depending on how salty, sour, or spicy you like it.
We use prawns and fish balls in this recipe, but you can honestly use any seafood species you like in a Laksa. In Autumn, Blue Swimmer Crab is a great seasonal option!
Whole Threadfin Bream Baked with Oregano & Chilli
Recipe Here
Bream, especially Yellowfin, come into great form in Autumn, and this is a great way to enjoy them whole without too much fuss! All you need is an oven tray large enough to fit the fish, and you're away.
Pairing this tasty baked fish with wintery veggies like baked potatoes makes for a really hearty family meal. To avoid bones as you're eating, just gently pull the flesh sideways off from the bones with your knife and fork.
