This is less a recipe and more a philosophy – the idea that a beautiful piece of seafood, dressed simply and thoughtfully, is one of the most generous and impressive things you can put on a table. At the store and at home, this is how we love to entertain. A platter of dressed seafood in the middle of the table, some crusty bread, a cold glass of wine and good company – that's the dream.
These are our favourite combinations, but treat them as a guide. Use whatever is freshest and most beautiful on the day. The seafood is always the star – you're just helping it along.
Dressed-up Seafood
Serves as many as you like
You'll need
- Pickled octopus: cooked octopus tentacles, sliced; red wine vinegar; extra-virgin olive oil; dried oregano; salt flakes
- Smoked salmon with lemon zest & capers: quality smoked salmon slices; zest of 1 lemon; 1 tablespoon baby capers, rinsed; extra-virgin olive oil; freshly ground black pepper
- Taramasalata with salmon roe: homemade or good-quality taramasalata; 1 tablespoon salmon roe on top; crackers to serve
- Freshly shucked oysters with mignonette: freshly shucked oysters on the half shell; 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 1 French shallot, very finely diced; pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- Cooked prawn cutlets with EVOO & lots of lemon: cooked king prawn cutlets; extra-virgin olive oil; lemon wedges; salt flakes
- Anchovies & crusty bread: good-quality anchovy fillets in olive oil; grilled crusty bread slices; unsalted butter
- Crème fraîche & black caviar: crème fraîche or sour cream; black caviar or lumpfish roe; blinis or small toasts
- Prawn & crayfish appetisers: cooked crayfish tail, sliced; cooked prawn cutlets; lemon wedges; aioli or mayonnaise
How to make it
For the pickled octopus, toss the sliced octopus with a splash of red wine vinegar, a good drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of dried oregano. Season with salt flakes and leave to marinate for at least 15 minutes before serving.
For the smoked salmon, lay the slices on a serving plate and scatter over the lemon zest and capers. Drizzle with a little olive oil and finish with freshly ground black pepper.
For the mignonette, simply combine the red wine vinegar, shallot and pepper in a small bowl and spoon over the freshly shucked oysters just before serving.
For the prawn cutlets, arrange on a platter and drizzle generously with extra-virgin olive oil. Squeeze over plenty of lemon and season with salt flakes.
For the caviar blinis, place a small spoonful of crème fraîche on each blini and top with a little caviar or lumpfish roe. Serve immediately.
Arrange everything on a large board or platter with plenty of crusty bread, lemon wedges and napkins. Let people help themselves.
This recipe is from The Fishmonger's Son Cookbook — available in-store at 781 Nicholson Street, Carlton North — come and say hello.