After hot cross buns and chocolate, the food most closely associated with Easter is fish.
Traditionally meat is not to be consumed on Good Friday, and many families still forego meat for fresh seafood such as cod, salmon and prawns.
One of the best places to buy seafood in the region is the Dandenong Market.
The Ganotis family run the popular Hellenic Fish Market stall.
They expect the week before Easter to be one of their busiest of the year.
Dimitri Ganotis said all types of seafood are popular at Easter.
“During the Lenten period of fasting, many strict Christians and Greek Orthodox prefer to eat fish with no blood,“ Dimitri said.
“ Popular seafood includes calamari, squid, cuttlefish, prawns, scallops, crustaceans. However, during Holy Week and particularly Good Friday, any type of fish is popular.”
Dimitri’s sister Adriana said that a variety of fish and crustaceans would be available in the lead up to Easter, however there were currently shortages on prawns, oysters and salmon which had driven prices up.
“Prices will vary over the Easter period,” she said.
“Prices can range from $20 to $35 a kilogram. Prawns, however, are currently $45 a kilo and will likely go up in price to around the $50 a kilo mark.”
Fresh seafood that will be available at the Dandenong Market over Easter include:
· Marinara mix
· Calamari
· Prawns
· Crayfish
· Whole Snapper
· Cuttlefish
· Flake
· Flathead
· Rockling
· Squid
· Oysters
Hellenic Fish Market easy marinara mix recipe
Ingredients:
· 1 medium brown onion
· 2 tablespoons tomato paste
· 2 garlic cloves
· 2 x 400 g can diced tomatoes
· ¼ cup chopped basil leaves
· ½ cup dry red wine
· 650g Marinara mix
· ½ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
· Cooked pasta to serve
Tomato sauce steps:
· Heat oil in pan, add onion and garlic.
· Cook and stir occasionally under onion has softened.
· Add tomato paste. Stir for 1 minute.
· Add tomatoes.
· Bring to the boil, then simmer for about 15-20 mins.
· Add basil.
· Stir to combine.
Step 2
· Once the tomato sauce has simmered, add wine and simmer for a further 2 minutes until sauce has reduced.
· Add marinara mix for the last 5 minutes of cooking time.
· Serve with spaghetti and top with fresh parsley.
Three……
Tips for buying seafood
When purchasing fish, fillets or cutlets look for:
· Bright and lustrous skin, scales or flesh
· Bright pink-red gills
· Pleasant smell
· No discolouration or bruising
When purchasing shellfish look for:
· Brightly coloured or lustrous shells
· Firm and intact heads, tentacles, flesh or shells
· No discolouration
· Pleasant sea smell
Storage tips:
· Seafood will last longer if it is kept cold.
· When purchasing seafood, using a chiller bag or esky packed with ice.
· All seafood once cleaned and rinsed should be placed on plate or tray, covered with a damp cloth and plastic wrap or stored in container with lid.
· Store seafood in the coldest part of the fridge and consume with two to three days.
· Crustaceans (such as prawns) should be consumed soon after purchase.
