There are few silver linings to the heavy rainfall and flooding that has pummelled northern and eastern Australia this year. But nature’s bounty may be one of them: the price of prawns has plunged by half since Christmas.
This year’s short eight-week prawn season has been “the best season since the 70s”, according to Ben Hale, manager of the Love Australia Prawns campaign.
Large king prawns are now widely available for less than $25 a kilogram.
A combination of factors has led to the thriving crustacean population and the resulting oversupply of prawns in the market.
“We have had fantastic rains in parts of Australia that have created generation conditions for a real bountiful harvest of banana prawns,” Hale says.
On top of that is a greater supply of king prawns coming in from a growing wild-catch sector, and the planned expansion of prawn farms in Queensland.
“It just means you can indulge in good-quality seafood,” Hale said. “It’s greatly affordable on a cost per serve basis.”
He points to how versatile prawns can be in the kitchen – banana prawns are sweet and mild, while king prawns have a rich flavour.
So here are 10 recipes to make the most of them.
Small bites
Prawn and yuzu mayo blinis (pictured above) – Ravinder Bhogal tops his mini pancakes with prawns, salmon roe, chilli and a zippy yuzu to cut through the rich, sweet flavours.
Gambas al ajillo – These garlicky prawns, sizzling and swimming in oils, are among the most satisfying of Spanish tapas. They are also among the simplest to make, according to Felicity Cloake.
Spicy coconut prawns – For a zesty bite, Jo Pratt marinates prawns in a spicy sauce of turmeric, chilli powder, cumin, ginger, garlic and coconut before pan frying and serving with a squeeze of lime juice.
School prawns with sriracha mayonnaise – Chin Chin’s school prawns make for a moreish snack to be fried, dunked in sauces and devoured by the handful.
Prawn taquitos – Relaxed and informal, taquitos are rolled tortillas filled with meats, cheeses or seafood and deep-fried or baked. Yotam Ottolenghi loves a prawn filling with corn, chilli oil, tomato, herbs and lime.
The main attractions
Seared prawns with hot-and-sour salad (pictured above) – Inspired by hot and sour Vietnamese dipping sauces, Lara Lee marinades prawns in garlic, ginger and fish sauce to go with a stir-fry of vegetables and noodles.
Tagliolini with prawns and roasted cherry tomatoes – Either homemade or store-bought pasta will do in Silvia Colloca’s tagliolini recipe. The noodles serve as a conduit for the bursting flavours of the tomato, herbs and plump prawns.
Prawn, pea and potato tagine – Fresh potatoes, prawns and peas are made summery and sublime with Middle Eastern spices in Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich’s tagine.
Prawn curry with tamarind – Tangy tamarind, smoky roasted chillies and a sweet coconut-milk sauce bring together a prawn curry over rice in celebration of flavours from Sri Lanka’s north. Cynthia Shanmugalingam recommends leaving the prawns whole – shells, heads and all.
Prawn and blood orange ceviche – After leaving the prawns overnight in an orange and lime juice marinade, Nigel Slater tops his ceviche the next day with samphire, cucumber, raw carrot, or shredded mangetout – anything that will give the dish a fresh, crisp bite.
