'Half the cost': Expert tips that will slash how much you spend on seafood this Christmas

It just isn't Christmas time in Australia without a bowl of fresh prawns to enjoy, preferably lying on a bed of ice with some lemon wedges and a delicious dipping sauce.

In fact, Aussie families will eat 18.5 kilos of prawns this festive season, according to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).

But with food prices soaring, the big question on everyone's mind is: How can I find the cheapest prawns without sacrificing quality?

Firstly, let's dive into why seafood, particularly prawns, are so popular in Australia during the festive season:

1. The climate factor

"Christmas in Australia, and anywhere else in the southern hemisphere, is very different to the Christmas we see portrayed in film and media from the north," Gavin Northey, Associate Professor at the Department of Marketing at Griffith University, told nine.com.au.

This means that while we may include some hot foods and heavy desserts made famous by white Christmases around the world on our festive tables, we don't necessarily want to eat too many of them.

So, fresh chilled seafood and light pavlovas it is.

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2. Our country has an expansive coastline, giving us access to the best the ocean has to offer

"So, in that respect, seafood has become a very important part of the Australian diet," Northey explained.

"Thankfully, in Australia we have a lot of choice when it comes to seafood. So instead of choosing rock lobster, sashimi grade tuna or John Dory, many families will instead choose more affordable options, like local snapper, ling, deep sea perch and mussels."

But as we know, fresh seafood can be a bit expensive.

Thankfully, there are some simple ways to save on seafood costs this Christmas.

How to keep seafood costs down

While premium seafood can be expensive, there are plenty of ways to keep costs down.

"Australians also love prawns at Christmas, and Australian farmed prawns, such as tiger prawns and banana prawns, can be less than half the cost of more expensive varieties like king prawns," Northey said.

"It can also be more affordable to buy a whole fish, rather than fillets, providing you know how to prepare a whole fish."

These would be perfect on a barbeque, another sacred Aussie tradition during the summer months.

Whole fish and prawns and all seafood do very well when prepared in this way.

Prawns on the barbeque were elevated by Paul Hogan's famous, "Slip another shrimp on the barbie" ad from the eighties after he found fame in the Crocodile Dundee movies and have continued to be a popular barbeque choice ever since.

"So, over the past 60 years, the Australian love for a summer barbeque has seen it take centre stage on the one day of the year when we love to celebrate with family and friends," Northey said.

"The ultimate food to cook on that barbeque is seafood, which is why it has become a 'sacred' item for the festive season."

How Aussies love their prawns

It turns out we don't just want any prawns. Half of Australian consumers prefer prawns sourced from Australia, according to a YouGov survey commissioned by the MSC.

One-in-five (22 per cent) prefer sustainable wild-caught prawns over farmed.

Nearly half of Aussies choose fresh over frozen (47 per cent). And one-in-three (31 per cent) will buy brands or prawns from retailers they trust.

Only 16 per cent of Aussie shoppers take the time out to check prawns are sustainably sourced, which protects them from over fishing.

Your chances of buying MSC-certified sustainable prawns either frozen or chilled this Christmas are pretty high, with 63 per cent having been given their seal of approval.

If in doubt, you can check for certification on the label or packaging in the form of a blue fish tick.

Australian chef Brendan Pang has told nine.com.au peeling fresh prawns is pretty simple.

"The trick is not be too rough with but grab head and hold the body and just twist it gently and it kind of should break off," he said.

"I think a lot of people apply too much pressure and that's when like all the the stuff in the head, which is completely edible, comes out as well. I think people freak out about that, but in smaller prawns that are edible.

"So once the head comes off then peeling off the shell is quite easy, so it's like going from we see like the legs under and around the body all the way to the tail."

Some people leave the tails when serving them, which makes for stylish serving and easier eating.

How to elevate festive spreads with prawns

While MSC-certified prawns are more expensive than farmed prawns, using them in dishes such as salads and sides is a great way to add prawns to your Christmas table without breaking your Christmas budget.

And Pang has some very tasty recipes to share that lean on Chinese and Mauritian family flavours. Having grown up in Perth, he is well versed in using the best seafood Australia has to offer.

"I love a lobster roll or a crayfish roll, but crayfish is quite hard to get sometimes. The prawns are more accessible. So cooking prawns, chopping that up and tossing it through a quite fragrant like mayo with like onions, gherkins, dill, and then putting that into like a little soup bun, that's one of my favorite things to make at Christmas," he said.

He also looks out for large Australian prawns called Skull Island Prawns which he slices down the middle and fills with "some garlic butter and curry leaves and bread crumbs" to make them crunchy on top.

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Then there are rice and rice noodle salads which are a perfect inclusion in festive spreads, many of which he has shared in his new book This Is A Book About Rice.

"I love to cook a lot for my family and friends and myself but I try and keep things simple by incorporating a few new flavours."

This means moving beyond garlic, lemon, chilli and parsley and using things like curry leaves "to make it a bit more fragrant or give it a different flavour profile".

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