PRAWN STARS

A Fraser Coast Christmas without prawns on the menu would be unthinkable for most. Prawns are possibly even more "Christmassy" than the traditional roast turkey round here.

Luckily we've got some excellent quality suppliers in the Fraser Coast, and hard working fishermen and fisherwomen who risk their lives to keep our addiction supplied.

And there's no end of delicious ways to prepare your prawns, ranging from simply pouring them into a bowl and buttering some fresh bread, to sumptuous barbecue-baked extravaganzas.

Prawns are always one of the stars of the show at the annual Tastes of the Bay long lunch at the Hervey Bay Seafood Festival. In recent years Chef Andrew Mirosch has served up some incredible prawn dishes. This year it was Seared Fraser Island Tiger Prawn Cutlets with tarragon, tomato, native lime, and green peppercorn dressing served with a goat's curd sundered tomato and sage tart. And my word that was an amazing creation cooked in an outdoor kitchen for the couple of hundred lucky folks in attendance.

A few places to get the best prawns:
Urangan Fisheries retail outlet at the Great Sandy Straits Marina Urangan. Open Sat 24/12/16 (Xmas Eve) - 6.30am -5.30pm & Boxing Day 9am - 3pm. Phone 4125 2621.
The Ocean King Prawn Company. Ellengowan Street Urangan. Specialising in 5kg frozen cartons. Phone 4125 4823
Sugar Coast Seafoods 2 Comet Street, Maryborough Phone 4123 1176 
Fishermans Haul Gympie 18 Chapple St, Gympie Phone 5482 6644 
Unreel Seafood Food Truck Gympie Phone 0407 834 885
HBW Food Service 57 Hunter Street Hervey Bay Phone 4128 4144. 8kg cartons of Black Tigers & Banana prawns from $16.25 kg. 3kg carton of whole cooked Crystal Bay 16/20's $74.70 box.

Or if you're lucky enough, direct from the trawler.
Enjoy!

Mum tucking into a festive seafood paella.

Link to SBS Food's "Pacific Paella" recipe: http://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipes/pacific-paella

'Tis the season...

'Tis the season for festive occasions and family gatherings, but most importantly, the Queensland mudcrab season is now in full swing just in time for Christmas. The Fraser Coast is blessed with plentiful mangrove habitats for these much-prized species...the bigger the better round here!

Its hard to beat fresh Queensland muddies if you like your seafood full flavoured and succulent, and the variety of options when it comes to cooking and serving is seemingly endless.

Many prefer to simply throw them into a pot of boiling salt water (after humanely putting them to sleep in the freezer of course), then chill the cooked crabs in an ice slurry or overnight in the fridge, and serve them with fresh crusty bread spread with lashings of real butter, salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Others prefer to get stuck in while the muddies are still hot and steaming.

But a wok full of good chilli mudcrab is to die for! The rich, spicy, sweet flavours of the sauce seem to complement the crab so perfectly, and of course steamed rice soaks up the juices so well.
Warning: you really do need a pile of paper serviettes or napkins, or preferably roll up your sleeves and eat beside a pool and dive in whenever necessary...eating chilli mudcrab can be a messy experience!

Here's Sally Jenyns recipe for Stir Fried Mud Crab in Black Bean Sauce from the classic "Coastwatch Cookbook" published in 1997:

1 uncooked mudcrab
2 cloves chopped garlic
2 tablespoons black bean and garlic paste
2 tablespoons chopped ginger
1 sliced onion
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tin tomato pieces
1/3 cup sweet sherry
3 to 4 baby bok choy, washed & halved

Clean mudcrab, cut each side into 3-4 sections, lightly crack shells.
Heat peanut oil in wok.
Add garlic, onion, ginger and garlic black bean paste. Stir fry for 1 minute.
Add crab, sweet sherry and tinned tomatoes with juice.
Mix well, then cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
Toss crab, then place bok choy on top.
Replace lid, and simmer for a further 4 to 5 minutes.
Give all ingredients a final stir.
Serve crab and sauce over steamed rice.

Here's a link to Peter Kurivita's recipe for Steamed mud crabs with ginger, chilli, and shallot sauce:
http://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipes/steamed-mud-crabs-ginger-chilli-and-shallot-sauce

Just a'walkin the crab.

The all important URANGAN FISHERIES retail shop opening hours for the festive season

The all important URANGAN FISHERIES retail shop opening hours for the festive season:

Christmas is just around the corner.

Urangan Fisheries will be open over the Christmas/New Year period. Below are our trading hours, Christmas Day we WILL be CLOSED but open every other day to provide you will your seafood for the festive season.

Christmas Tarding Hours:
Mon 19/12/16 - Fri 23/12/16 - 8.30am - 5.30pm
Sat 24/12/16 (Xmas Eve) - 6.30am -5.30pm
Sun 25/12/16 (Xmas Day) - CLOSED
Mon 26/12/16 (Boxing Day) - 9am -3pm
Tuesday 27/12/16 (Public Holiday) - 9am -3pm
Wed 28/12/16 - Fri 30/12/16 - 8.30am - 5.30pm
Sat 31/12/16 (New Year's Eve) - 8.30am -5.30pm
Sun 1/1/17 (New Years Day) - 9am - 3pm)

Any enquiries please phone the Retail Shop on 4125 2621.

On behalf of all of us here at Urangan Fisheries we would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas & Happy New Year..

Salty Squid Cafe Toogum special holiday season evening dining.

Excellent news from the Salty Squid Cafe at Toogum:

Another Beautiful day in Toogoom, gorgeous breeze coming off the ocean keeping us cool, so wonderful. So we are going to open up for 3 evenings before Christmas. 
Friday 16th Dec / Saturday 17th Dec / Friday 23rd Dec. 

BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL

It will be a seafood menu with a few things for the non-seafood folks among us. We have been very excited by the support for our decision to step up the seafood and the fact it is fresh/local/ regional is the best part. 

The all day menu is also being well received. We want to say thanks again for all the bookings we really appreciate your support. Have a great day and see you soon. Cheers Toni