Winter brings in great seafood produce from around the country
As the weather turns cooler around Sydney, it’s a great time to take advantage of all the fresh seafood on offer from around the country — and there are more choices than just the usual barramundi or salmon out there this season.
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Most people often associate fresh seafood with summer but winter in Sydney is actually a great time to enjoy some fresh produce from the sea.
Sydney Fish Market tour guide and seafood expert Alex Stollznow said a lot of sea species come into their own during the cooler months and are more succulent with a bit of extra “winter weight” on them.
Mr Stollznow said many people might not have even heard of the Mirror Dory fish but it is a great option during winter.
“Everyone can get it in NSW. They’re just too good to ignore for the winter months,” Mr Stollznow told The Sunday Telegraph.
He said Aussies are still learning how to eat seasonally but are becoming more interested in where produce is coming from and what works better at different times of the year.
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Seafood like sea urchins, live spanner crabs, mullet and blue fin tuna can be enjoyed over winter, he said.
“There are 5000 types of sea species in Australia and many of them are under-utilised,” Mr Stollznow said.
“A fresh barbecue mullet can be just as good as any ocean trout. It’s briny and delicious.
“We are still learning and more people want to know about where their food comes from.”
Mr Stollznow said Aussies tend to stick to eating the most well-known fish like barramundi and salmon, but they should taste-test more of what our seas have to offer.
“It’s not human nature to want to try new things but every year, we get a bit better at diversifying our food.”
He said while John Dory fillets can usually go for as much as $40-50 a kilogram during winter months, the Mirror Dory sells for about $13 a kilogram and is just as delicious.
Executive chef at The Star Sydney’s Flying Fish restaurant, Peter Robertson, says the cooler months are perfect for oysters and sea urchin dishes in particular.
“We held off until peak season to use sea urchins and the oysters are also now at peak. They’re much plumper,” Robertson said.
Robertson’s tip for cooking fish starts at the fish markets or store. The renowned chef said the best way to get the freshest fish is to buy it whole and let the fishmonger cut, scale and fillet it for you before cooking.
The Star Sydney is holding its annual Seafood Freshtival, which runs until June 23, to take advantage of the winter season’s stock from all around Australia.
Flying Fish offers signature dishes throughout the festival, including spanner crab sandwiches, stir-fry squid and bespoke prawn, fish, scampi and oyster dishes.
“Across the group (at The Star), we’re just highlighting some of the best produce, the best seafood, that we get at this time of year,” Robertson said.
“I think it’s just a good time to experience what we have to offer, what seafood we have from all around Australia.”
The Star’s Seafood Freshtival also offers a number of great deals throughout its festival, including $29.99 lobster mornay with chips and salad for members of The Star (on Thursday and Sunday); and $2.50 oysters at Cherry Bar.
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