Whole fish joins hot cross buns at the Easter table

Sitting around the table with a whole cooked fish in the centre is the ideal seafood treat for Easter – and while you’re there, it’s not too late to get your hot cross buns.

Whole fish is the dish of choice for seafood lovers looking to indulge this Easter.

Central Market fishmongers are tipping another holiday rush on popular varieties such as salmon, barramundi and snapper, along with traditional favourites like SA oysters, prawns and crayfish.

Alex Knoll, seafood operations manager at Angelakis Bros, said while there’s been a supply shortage of salmon and barra, they’ve been able to source enough seafood for hungry shoppers.

“The popular ones are whole fish – snapper or other plate size fish – put it in the middle of the table and get the family together to eat,” he said.

Mr Knoll said Angelakis Bros was expecting to sell 2.8 tonnes of SA king prawns and 600 dozen oysters in the lead-up to Easter. King George whiting ($89.99kg), and SA flathead fillets ($69.99kg) were also on the top of shopping lists, he said.

Matt Cappo, from Cappo’s Fish Market, said Atlantic salmon, whole snapper and barramundi were in high demand, with prices remaining “steady” compared with Christmas and Easter 2021.

“Barramundi, whiting and garfish are always crowd favourites this time of year, especially whole fish, which are prefect on the barbecue,” he said.

It’s not just seafood on the menu this long weekend, with Central Market bakeries Dough and Skala Artisan Bakers expected to sell a combined 44,000 hot cross buns.

Lauren Brown, 32, of Clarence Park, said she usually does her shopping at the iconic market in the city and was looking forward to stocking up for an annual Easter family picnic.

“We do salads, sandwiches and fresh prawns,” she said. “And I’m huge on hot cross buns.”

• The Central Market is open until 7pm on Thursday, closed on Good Friday and open from 7am-3pm on Saturday, before closing for the rest of Easter.

Seafood for this year's Easter table - Alex Knoll of Angelakis Seafoods, with Lauren Brown and a kingfish. PictureK Dean Martin