Todays Catch

School Prawns

We harvest prawn commercially in Victoria. We don’t bring in a lot but what we do catch are some of the best in the world. Our cool clean, rich waters make it the perfect growing conditions for these sweet little crustaceans. Most Victorian prawns are caught as part of the Inland Costal Fishery off the shores of Gippsland.

Prawns are generally caught in the warmer months from mid spring to mid-autumn, depending on the season. The main prawns that thrive in our southern waters are the eastern king prawn and eastern school prawn. Adult eastern kings range from 10cm to 20 cm and adult prawns are targeted as they make their way from shallow coastal waters and estuaries to deeper water to spawn. Caught in nets and chilled in ice slurry immediately, they hold their quality well and are a sustainable species. Their smaller cousin, the eastern school prawn are between 5cm and 9cm but some can grow to 15cm. The catch is small, around 16 tonnes per annum and are a much sought-after species in the Sydney markets, where they are valued for their sweet flesh and soft shells.

Eastern school prawns are not your everyday prawn, but when they come into markets and fishmongers, make the most of the them because they are so plump, sweet and flavoursome. Generally, they are sold green, or raw, so look for a plump prawn, the shell filled, no blackening under the shell or around the head. If sold cooked, go for the prawn with a complete, firm looking shell and don’t bother with any prawns with signs of blackening under the shell. School prawns are most likely to be sold whole and raw. The smaller the school prawn, the sweeter the flesh and more tender the shell. Look for lump, sweet smelling specimens, again with no hint of blackening. To make the most of these exceptional prawns get them onto ice as soon as possible, use within a day or so of purchase or freeze for up to three months.

Cook easter king prawns as you would any big prawn. The classic way to enjoy these prawns in summer is to bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the prawns for a few minutes or until they change colour. Refresh in a tub of chilled icy water. Peel and enjoy with an ice-cold beer or wine, or peel and use in a salad. You can grill or BBQ these prawns in shell but try salting with a handful of coarse salt per kilogram, mix in a bowl, and then grill the prawns over charcoal. Somehow the salt makes the prawns taste sweeter. Use the prawns in seafood dishes, Southeast Asian curries, or any recipe that calls for prawns. Eastern school prawns are a different kettle of fish, literally. Small, sweet and soft shelled they are perfect to roll through salted semolina and deep fry for a minute or so and serve hot as a finger food snack. They can be mixed through a chickpea batter and deep fried to make Spanish prawn fritters. Boil the school prawns as above and peel the shell away, it is painstaking, but the flesh is superb. Use this in salads, on pizza, through pasta or simply take two pieces of thickly buttered soft white bread, place the prawns in between the bread and enjoy.