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SEAFOOD TIPS Aussie animals icing on prize cake
THE Christmas rush never surprises seafood guru Stephen Georgouras, but after 20 years he still smiles when his family-owned store breaks records.
Mr Georgouras runs Cairns Ocean Products with his two daughters, Claudia and Elise, and said the annual preChristmas rush had grown every year since the store opened.
“We’re already much better than last year,” he said.
Hungry Cairns shoppers have been targeting the perennial festive favourite, prawns, with larger varieties like extra large tiger prawns particularly popular and selling for about $37 a kilo.
The ever-popular local Endeavour prawns, which have a sweet taste, round out the bottom of the market at about $18 a kilo.
Mr Georgouras said the rise of cooking shows on television had encouraged a new wave of home-chefs who often tried to replicate the dishes they saw on TV.
“Cooking is pretty easy as long as you’ve got the right base materials,” he said.
“You can’t cook cardboard and make it taste good.”
While prawns and bugs were the traditional Christmas favourites, Mr Georgouras said today’s customers were spoiled for choice with options like salmon caviar, smoked fresh A MANUNDA grandmother has won a uniquely Australian Christmas cake that she says is almost too amazing to eat.
The cake was created thanks to the tireless efforts of Far North Queensland Wildlife Rescue Association volunteers, and raffle winner Marjorie Earl was presented
Always remove the paper wrap before you place seafood in the fridge – it will keep the cold out
Store freshly cooked shellfish in an open bowl or dish with ice cubes throughout. Place a damp paper towel or cloth on top to keep your product moist and drain excess water when necessary. Don’t let the seafood sit in freshwater
Freshly cooked prawns will last two-to-three days in the fridge
Defrosted seafood should be used that day or the day after. Don’t refreeze defrosted products
Remove the plastic bag from fresh seafood before storing in refrigeration to prevent the product from sweating salmon, in-house smoked mussels and, of course, lots of oysters.
Cairns prawn fishers have been in full celebration mode this month after returning from 120 days at sea with the largest hauls of tiger prawns the industry has seen in more than 30 years, meaning there was plenty of fresh stock on the local markets. with it at her home yesterday.
“I’m going to be taking lots of photos of it, before it gets cut into, for my records,” she said. “It’s absolutely amazing, the detail – I love it.”
Among the volunteers to contribute to that detail was former pastry chef and Whitfield resident Jo Powell.
She used fondant icing when creating the animals.
“It took many hours because I do just a few at a time – I did it over two weeks,” she said.
“It’s just another way I can help raise funds so the FNQWR can continue their work ... I enjoy it a lot.
“They’re just typical Aussie animals ... you just model them with your fingers, like plasticine or play dough.”