Many of Australia's favourite seafood species fall into a group of free-swimming aquatic animals called crustaceans. Today, we want to give you a rundown on some of the most common crustaceans you can find at Sydney Fish Market, what they taste like, and how to buy, prepare, and cook them!
Crabs
From tiny Oyster Crabs, that make their homes in live oysters, to the world’s heaviest Crab, the Giant Crab, found in our southern waters, there are well over 1,000 species of crabs worldwide. They are found in a wide range of marine habitats and vary greatly in size and appearance, but many have delicious soft, moist, sweet flesh, and are less expensive than other comparable shellfish.
Most edible Crabs in Australia belong to the ‘swimmer’ family, and can be identified by flat paddles on the end of their back legs. Only a few species are targeted around Australia, with the rest being bycatch. The three main species you'll see on a visit to Sydney Fish Market are:
Blue Swimmer Crabs: Tend to have a beautiful blue-purple coloured shell, and are one of the few Crabs not sold live, as they don’t survive well once captured. They yield about 35% meat, are medium priced and have a mild, sweet, nutty flavour. Available to purchase cooked or uncooked.
Mud Crabs: Most common in Queensland, Mud Crabs have a dark green to brown shell, and are available year-round. They have large front legs and claws and generally weigh 500g-1kg. They’re mostly sold live (as they can live out of water for days) but are also available cooked. They yield about 25% meat, largely from the front claws, and are high priced with sweet flesh that has a slightly stronger flavour and firmer texture than that of other Crabs.
Spanner Crabs: With their long, almost goblet-shaped shells, bright orange colour (even when uncooked), and spanner-shaped front claws, these crabs are quite distinctive. They average about 400g and are usually sold cooked, although they can occasionally be found live. Although they only yield 25% meat, they are lower priced than other crabs and some chefs prefer their distinctively sweet flavour.
Cooking crabs is easy; you only have to decide whether you're buying them live or pre-cooked. Cooking live crabs can be a challenge for home cooks, and if you decide to do it you must ensure you're up to date on the RSPCA guidelines. This stir-fry recipe is ideal if you're cooking from live.
There are also a lot of options for cooking with pre-cooked crab meat. Toss the meat through a salad, into an omelette, or through a pasta. Just make sure not to heat it too much, as it can become tough if overcooked.
Prawns
There are a total of seven species of prawn sold commercially in Australia, with some being supremely popular (Tiger, King and Banana), and others lesser-known, but no less delicious (School, Endeavor, Bay, and Royal Red). Tiger, King, and Banana prawns are the types you will see most often in your local fishmonger.
The species you choose to buy is entirely up to personal preference and budget, but one important thing to consider is the size. While large prawns are satisfying to eat, and easy to peel, they often come with a higher price tag, and our rule of thumb is the smaller the prawn, the sweeter the meat! This means that buying medium-sized prawns is a great way to achieve the best balance of size, value and taste.
Prawns are highly perishable in their raw state, and so are often frozen or boiled at sea as soon as they are caught. When prawns are cooked like this, they will appear bright orange. If you intend to cook your prawns at home, buy green (raw) prawns, as cooked prawns will toughen if reheated. When shopping, look for brightly coloured, firm, intact, lustrous shells, without any discolouration (particularly at joints), and a pleasant fresh sea smell.
Here are a few of our favourite prawn recipes:
Bugs
While most of us would think twice about eating insects, one of Australia’s most sought-after seafood species is commonly known as a ‘Bug’. Members of the Scyllaridae (shovel-nosed or slipper lobster) family are closely related to Rock Lobsters. They’re generally available year-round, with peaks in late Summer and Autumn.
Balmain Bugs are the most common bug species available in Australia. Despite their name, they aren’t unique to the Balmain area of Sydney, but are found around the southern half of Australia (with a pocket further north near Broome), though they’re mainly caught off NSW.
Moreton Bay Bugs are found much further afield than Queensland’s Moreton Bay, living around the northern half of Australia’s coast, though caught mainly off northern Queensland. They’re generally larger than Balmain Bugs, with a narrower body, and their eyes are on the outer edges of their shells.
Bugs are usually sold whole, sometimes live but often already cooked. When buying cooked Bugs, look for brightly coloured, firm, intact, lustrous shells, without any discolouration, and a pleasant fresh sea smell. They should feel heavy for their size and their tails should be tightly curled.
Similarly to crabs, you should avoid too much heating of bug meat that has already been cooked, lest it become tough. Here are a few delicious recipe options to try:
Rock Lobsters
What we call ‘lobster’ in Australia is a different species altogether to lobster in other parts of the world, such as the US. The main difference is that Rock Lobsters do not have large front claws, with their edible meat instead being found in the body and tail. Four different species of Rock Lobster are found in Australia – Eastern, Western, Southern, and Tropical (their names generally corresponding to the areas of the country in which they are caught).
Lobsters are sold both live (uncooked) and cooked. As mentioned above, it is not recommended that inexperienced cooks purchase live crustaceans – it is important to kill them humanely, and it is a specialised skill to do this correctly. If you purchase cooked lobsters, all you have to do to prepare them is to extract the meat from the shell. The best way to do this is to split the entire lobster in half lengthways, which gives you access to pull the meat out easily with a fork or pick.
Some great recipes using the pre-cooked meat include Rock Lobster Thermidor, Rock Lobster & Herb Salad with Asian Dressing, and Rock Lobster Salad with Radish, Orange & Mint.
If you are comfortable with purchasing a live lobster, or are more of an experienced cook, one of our ultimate favourite ways to enjoy lobster in pasta is using . It is extra special because it uses the lobster’s organs and carapace to create a rich and delicious sauce; we definitely recommend trying it if you are interested in getting out of our cooking comfort zone!
Crayfish
Freshwater crayfish are found throughout Australia, with the three main commercial species being the yabby, the marron, and the redclaw.
All three of these species are generally sold either live or cooked, similarly to the other crustaceans on this list. If you feel comfortable, it is best to buy them live. When shopping, look for brightly coloured, firm, intact, lustrous shells, without any discolouration, and a pleasant fresh sea smell.
Crayfish have a sweet, delicate flavour, low oiliness and moist, firm flesh, which is translucent when raw, and white with orange tinges when cooked. Some of our favourite recipes using crayfish include: Barbecued Marron with Garlic and Herb Butter, Yabby Salad with Tomato and Basil, and Poached Redclaws with Chilli and Coconut.