I spent most of my career working with seafood while running Australia’s largest recreational cooking school, Sydney Seafood School at Sydney Fish Market. I love the quality and diversity of Australian seafood and I’ve learnt a bit about preparing it from my chef friends over the years, we even wrote a book on it! Here are some of my favourite seafood recipes.
Oyster Omelette This recipe brings back memories of my first trip to Singapore – and my first meal at Newton Circus hawker centre. I’ve seen the translation of oyster omelette written so many ways, including or luak, orh luak, orr chien, orh jian and o-a-tsian. The ingredients vary a lot too, some people use tapioca […]
Fish Head Curry Fish head curry is a classic Singaporean and Malaysian dish. It’s said to have originated in Singapore in the 1950s, though it seems likely that thrifty housewives were finding ways to make fish heads tasty long before then, after all the meat in the cheeks and wings is delicious and plentiful in […]
Singapore Chilli Crab Chilli crab is perhaps the dish most synonymous with Singapore. It’s found all over the island, from hawker stalls to fine diners, as well as being the most popular Singaporean dish abroad. I’ve played around with recipes for Singaporean chilli crab since I had my first plate of it in Ponggol many […]
Five Spice Ling The marinade for this five spice ling, aromatic with star anise, cloves, cinnamon, fennel and Sichuan pepper, is perfect with almost any seafood or poultry. Chef Mark Jensen from Red Lantern (who taught me how to make it) uses it with quail; I love it with firm-fleshed ling and prawns, squid or […]
Basque-style Octopus Braise This Basque-style octopus braise is inspired by a veal dish from the town of Espelette, famous for its dried mild red peppers. I wanted to create a pescatarian-friendly version, but it’s challenging finding seafood that can stand up to a long braise; so few aquatic species lend themselves to that style of […]
Spice-Rubbed Leatherjacket I love the thick flaky texture of the fish in this spice-rubbed leatherjacket recipe, but you could use any firm-fleshed fish, whole or fillets, including some of the oilier ones like mackerel or tuna as they’ll stand up well to the rich Mediterranean flavours. When you remove the pan from the oven, drape […]
Snapper with Pine Nut & Herb Stuffing I didn’t really care for stuffings until I cooked this snapper with pine nut & herb stuffing, inspired by a dish Giovanni Pilu served me. Herbs, including rosemary, thyme and oregano grow wild throughout Sardinia and are known as ‘erbette di campo’, herbs of the field. They add […]
Persian Minced Tuna Kebabs Persians love all sorts of kebabs and these minced tuna kebabs are a great alternative to the lamb-based kabab koobideh so popular in Persian cuisine. Cooking time will depend on how thinly you roll the mince and on the heat of your grill; tuna dries out quickly, so better to undercook […]
Aromatic Thai Tuna Skewers While tuna isn’t a traditional species in Thai cuisine, its meatiness provides a good pescatarian alternative to the grilled beef skewers often seen in southern Thailand. This recipe is inspired by a recipe from David Thompson, who suggests making a fragrant brush for dabbing the seasoning onto the skewers by tying […]
Lemon-cured Tuna with Herb Salad One of my favourite Vietnamese dishes is bo tai chanh, a salad of beef cured in lemon juice, and the same method works just as well with tuna. Whatever protein you use, it’s a very quick dish to prepare once you have all the ingredients on hand, and it’s great […]
