Aussies love freshly shucked oysters, prawns and scallops in the half-shell – we revel in an abundance of seafood plucked from the oceans that surround our land Down Under.
Want to venture outside the norm? Try these five seafood dishes that we bet have never crossed your plate let alone your palate:
Jellied eels:
Jellied eels are a traditional Cockney street food dish dating back to the 18th Century. Originally, this was a cheap and easy way to make a good dish with plenty of native eels readily available in the Thames River. The eels would be chopped up, boiled for 30 minutes in herbs and then cooled – that’s when the fish produces its own gelatin and a soft, transparent jelly forms on the cut pieces.
Photo credit: Taste Atlas.
The texture of jellied eels is delicate and soft and while some may say it's unpleasant, their flavour is unique - mild, slightly salty, like pickled herring, but without the unusual ‘fishy’ scent. They are commonly accompanied by white pepper and vinegar in order to further accentuate the flavours.
Chef Thomas Ege’s recipe for lobster ice cream was born out of a regular get-together with other like-minded Chefs where they challenged each other to come up with new dishes.
"One day I cooked a lobster bisque and when I tried it, the flavour was light and sweet. I thought it would be great as an ice cream – 75% of my guests who have tried it, loved it. But you have to tell your brain that it’s ice cream with croustade taste. Judge after the third try!”
Summer is the ideal time to try this innovative ice cream recipe, just don’t tell your guests what they are eating and wait for the reaction as they put the first creamy and smooth spoonful into their mouths.
Thai fish entrails sour curry:
This thick and aromatic fish curry originated in southern Thailand. The base of the dish is prepared with tai pla - fermented fish entrails - and a spicy curry paste consisting of chilli peppers, galangal, shrimp paste, turmeric, shallots and lemongrass.
Photo credit: Taste Atlas.
Other additions usually include dry fish, diced eggplant, bamboo shoots, string beans, or other vegetables. Because of its intensity and strong, pungent aromas, this curry is best served with steamed rice on the side.
Lutefisk:
This dish dates back to Viking times and is made from dried white fish – usually cod or ling – which is kept in water for a number of days and then placed in a lye solution until the fish turns jelly-like. This isn’t the end of the process – in fact, eating it at this stage would kill you.
Photo credit: SY Selkie.
After soaking in lye it is returned to fresh water for another week. Lutefisk is known for its strong smell, which has earnt it the nicknames of ‘weapon of mass destruction, ‘rat poison’ and ‘fork destroyer’.
Fugu:
Fugu is the famous fish – think Homer in ‘The Simpsons’ - that has to be prepared correctly or you can meet a rather unseemly end. Chefs therefore have to hold special qualification in order to make this dish and no wonder, given that they have to leave a little bit of the poison in the fish in order to create the tingling feeling that people eat this fish for.
