Description
This exquisite Seafood Platter is a celebration of the freshest ocean delights, combining pre-cooked tiger, king, or banana prawns, succulent oysters, blue swimmer crabs, Moreton Bay bugs, smoked salmon, sashimi, and cooked mussels. Perfect for entertaining, it pairs beautifully with an array of dipping sauces, fresh lemon wedges, and crisp sides like green salad or crudites. Ideal for a festive gathering or special occasion, this platter showcases the best of premium seafood served chilled for maximum flavor and enjoyment.
Ingredients
Scale
Seafood
- 2 kg / 3 lb whole prawns, pre-cooked, shell on (Tiger, King or Banana prawns)
- 24 oysters – Sydney Rock or Pacific (Tasmanian, Merimbula and Port Stephens are favorites)
- 4 blue swimmer crabs (400g/14oz+), pre-cooked in shell, whole
- 8 Moreton Bay bugs, pre-cooked in shell, whole (fallback – Balmain Bugs)
- 200g / 7 oz smoked salmon (Huon)
- 250g / 8 oz sashimi, pre-sliced (tuna, kingfish or salmon)
- 1 kg / 2 lb mussels, cooked, served at room temperature
Sauces
- Cocktail Seafood Sauce
- Tartare Sauce
- Marie Rose / Thousand Island Sauce
- Thai Chilli Lime Sauce
- RecipeTin Family Favourite Seafood Sauce
- Soy sauce and wasabi (for sashimi)
Accompaniments
- Ice, optional (crushed preferred)
- Lemon wedges (lots!)
- Parsley sprigs (for decoration)
- Bowls (for discarding shells)
- Finger bowls filled with water and lemon slices
- Napkins (lots!)
- Good bread
- Perky green salad or vegetable sticks (crudites)
- Cold beer, wine, and champagne
Extras
- Marinated crispy baby octopus
- The crispiest salt and pepper squid (recipe coming soon)
- Cheese and crackers
Instructions
- Purchase Seafood: Buy all seafood as close to the serving date as possible to ensure maximum freshness. Consider an early morning trip to a reputable fish market, such as the Sydney Fish Markets, to select your seafood personally rather than ordering online.
- Store Seafood Properly: For cooked seafood, refrigeration will keep it fresh for up to two days. For fresh raw seafood intended for cooking, remove from plastic bags and place in a colander loosely covered with cling wrap to allow it to ‘breathe’ and reduce odor.
- Prepare Blue Swimmer Crab: Cut the crab following a standard technique but do not remove the claws. Keep the claws intact as they are part of the presentation and eating experience.
- Prepare Moreton Bay Bugs: Turn the bug on its back and cut down through the middle shell, which is relatively soft. Remove the yellow and brown matter from the head region. The cleaned bug is now ready to be served.
- Make Dipping Sauces: Prepare your choice of sauces such as cocktail, tartare, Marie Rose, Thai chilli lime, or the RecipeTin Family Favourite Seafood Sauce. These complement the prawns, bugs, crab, and also work well with vegetable sticks and bread. Refrigerate sauces until serving; they can be made up to two days in advance.
- Prepare Mussels: Cook mussels ahead of time and serve them at room temperature as part of the seafood platter, adding a warm textural contrast to the chilled offerings.
- Arrange and Serve: Arrange all seafood on a large chilled platter or trays, decorate with parsley sprigs and lemon wedges generously. Provide ice on the side or underneath seafood if possible to maintain chill. Include bowls for discarding shells, finger bowls with lemon water for cleaning fingers, plenty of napkins, bread, salad or vegetable sticks, and any additional extras you wish to serve. Pair the platter with cold beer, wine, or champagne for a complete festive experience.
Notes
- Ensure seafood is sourced from trusted suppliers to guarantee freshness and quality.
- Do not cut off blue swimmer crab claws; they are important for presentation and are meaty.
- Moreton Bay bugs can be substituted with Balmain Bugs if unavailable.
- Seafood sauces can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept refrigerated.
- Mussels are best served at room temperature on this platter to balance flavors.
- Keeping cooked seafood chilled on crushed ice maintains freshness during serving.
- Add extras like marinated baby octopus or crispy salt and pepper squid for variety and indulgence.
