News & Seafood Recipes We Love

If we took a poll and asked Australians what food best represents summer to them, the chances are that the two heroes of this dish would be high on the list. Juicy, ripe mangoes and fresh seafood are the stuff of family BBQs and celebrations all around Australia. 

The simplicity of this month’s recipe is perfect - no slaving away at a hot stove for longer than a few minutes - and best of all, it packs a mighty flavour punch and is super healthy. 

Scallop meat is sweet, delicate and tender and is not difficult to prepare. Our recipe below provides three different ways to serve this popular mollusc but if you are running short on time and just want to enjoy yourself with family and friends without the hassle of cooking, we sell some delicious ready-made flavoured butters that provide the ultimate short cut (and bonus – no-one ever has to know!)

There is no doubt about it, Australians love their seafood at Christmas time. The associated demand for seafood at Christmas time is extraordinary. Here at Dawsons last Christmas we sold 1.8 tonnes of prawns, 8467 dozen oysters, 115kgs of fresh fish, and 100kgs of crustaceans (bugs, crabs, lobsters).

One of Australia’s most popular summer seafood choices for festive menus is Salmon. A favourite of chefs the world over, we’ve found a delicious recipe that pairs our Atlantic Salmon with the delicate flavours of coconut, lemongrass and ginger, perfectly matched with Asian greens for a healthy and spectacular summer favourite.

‘Tis the season to be jolly and nothing is jollier than seafood paired with the perfect wine on a sunny summer day. With such a wide range of fish and shellfish to choose from and a myriad of different ways to prepare them, there is an equally wide variety of wines to pair them with.

With the weather slowly warming up, we’re all looking to our barbeques, dusting them off and hankering for some sunny days to entertain. This month we’ve found you a recipe that takes advantage of the beautiful Australian wild caught whole squid tubes that we stock here at Dawson's Oyster Supplies. 

There is a growing urgency in the industry which is working hard on a transparent and reliable certification of seafood. Currently there is one certification that is having some success – the Marine Stewardship Council blue tick – or MSC which has more than 400 wild capture fisheries certified around the world.

Whether it be for a small dinner party or a family dinner, a centerpiece of whole baked Snapper looks impressive. This month’s recipe won’t just be impressive, it will explode with the flavours of ginger, lemongrass and chilli and will be a crowd pleaser.

Australia has been commercially farming oysters since the late 1800s. Fast forward to today and the industry now has 3200 aquaculture leases in NSW, spread across 41 coastal estuaries with three species of oysters grown - the Sydney rock oyster (Saccostrea glomerata), Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) and the native, flat oyster (Ostrea angasi). 

Shellfish has a reputation for being expensive and many people only think to eat mussels when they eat out. Mussels, however, are a surprisingly easy shellfish to cook and prepare, incredibly healthy for you and very economical.

Considered the canary of water estuaries because they survive by filtering up to five litres of water every hour and are sensitive to changes in the waterways, oysters and their farmers have had a difficult time over the past ten years, particularly here in our own Port Stephens area.

At Dawson’s Oysters, we believe that our beautiful Australian Blue Swimmer Crab meat is so delicious and healthy it should be eaten all year round. Check out this easy Australian Blue Swimmer Crab Cakes with Dill Mayonnaise recipe.

Lake Macquarie locals who love their seafood know that Dawson’s Oyster Supplies have been a tradition in the area since 1964. Fast forward almost 60 years and this much-loved local family business at 67 king St, Warners Bay has had a total refresh with new owners, new branding and a shop fitout.