How to spot the best quality prawn, according to a chef
'Tis the season to feast on prawns!
Most Australians love to enjoy prawns as part of their Christmas Day lunch or dinner and this year should be no exception.
Australian chef and former Masterchef star Courtney Roulston is a big fan of the delicious seafood herself and has a wealth of knowledge on how to score the freshest batch this festive season.
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TV chef Courtney Roulston has revealed her secret to spotting the perfect quality prawn. Supplied
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Roulston has partnered with the Marine Stewardship Council to share how Australians can find sustainable, wild-caught prawns.
According to Roulston, when shopping around for prawns, seafood fans should look out for one particular detail: the colour.
"Imported prawns that aren't from Australia and often come from Thailand, they're a different shape. They're kind of stretched out in a boomerang shape," she tells 9Honey.
"They're also a slightly different orange colour. When you see seafood sitting on ice at your local shop, people forget that they can ask where they come from. Like, where are these caught? Are they certified?"
Roulston says Australian prawns are a different shape that imported prawns. Supplied
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Roulston says sustainable, Australian tiger prawns have a bright orange colour that is quite unmistakable.
She also advises people to look out for the 'product of Australia' label on packaged prawns and the blue MSC tick, which means they are sustainably sourced.
As for her own Christmas Day feast, the TV chef says she prefers cooking with Spencer Gulf King Prawns.
And her secret family recipe for the beloved seafood delicacy is simple.
"I just buy the sustainable Spencer Gulf King Prawns and cook them over a fire or heat with salted water. We have them hot out of the pot with lemon and salt," Roulston says.
"And it is the most divine thing you will ever eat. It's the easiest thing to do, if you can boil water, then you can cook prawns."
She added: "I think people forget that the cooked prawns they buy at the shops, they've simply been cooked in salt water and you can do that at home."
Prawns can be enjoyed in dozens of different ways. Supplied
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According to a YouGov survey, 5.2 million Australians are planning to enjoy more prawns this Christmas compared to last year.
"We want people to seek out the wild-caught, sustainable MSC-certified prawns," Roulston says. "Some people think this means the price will go through the roof, but it's not the case."
"In the lead-up to Christmas, my tip is to shop around – prices will come down and there will be lots of specials."
