By Ron Ward

Local Fishmonger, Ron Ward, (a.k.a Ronnie-the-Red Emperor), has been buying, selling, processing and cooking Australian seafood in Port Douglas for more than 20 years.  He and wife Althea settled in Port Douglas in the 1980s and established Seamarkets Australia soon after.  

Ron only uses seafood wild-caught in clear tropical waters off North Queensland, plus specialty items such as oysters and salmon from around Australia - and he processes and packs his own product.

Over the years, Ron, the old salty seadog, reckons he could have retired early if he had a dollar for all the questions customers’ ask him.  Here at Newsport we are delighted he has taken some time out from his busy Christmas schedule to answer a few of our questions and pass on some of his valuable expertise to help all our readers get the most out of our favourite seafood in the lead up to Christmas.

What’s good from up here in Port Douglas – we want local seafood?

Here in FNQ we are blessed with great varieties of local reef fish, Barramundi, Tiger or Endeavour prawns and Qld Muddies.  Despite the name, we also get beautiful local Moreton Bay Bugs – possibly better than the ones caught in Moreton Bay!

How do you select good fish? And how should you store or cook it?

· If buying a whole fresh fish you should look out for the clarity of the eyes.  
· You can also ask your fishmonger to gut and scale the fish for you, to save processing at home.
· Keep it cold!!!! Fresh fish should always be stored in the fridge, as close to zero degrees as possible
· If you are buying fresh fish it is best to consume it within a day or two of purchase.
· As for cooking it, why not give the BBQ a try this summer.  We all love a BBQ and Ron suggests mixing things up by making room next to the sausages for fillets of Barra, Red Emperor or local Snapper.

Should I be scared of frozen fish?

No. If buying from a reputable supplier, frozen fish should be as good as fresh fish. Fish that has been snap frozen only has tiny water crystals in the flesh, preserving the freshness.  When thawed properly it should be impossible to tell apart.

How do you eat Prawns?

· With whole cooked prawns, you just rip the heads off, peel the body and squeeze the tail until the meat comes out.  Make sure you wash them down with a cold beer or white wine! Or, if you’d rather not get your hands dirty, buy peeled Prawn Cutlets to BBQ or Saute.

Why are Fish Wings so much cheaper?

Wings from a Coral Trout or Barra are one of the industry’s best-kept secrets. Admittedly, they have lots of bones and are a bit fiddly to eat, but the flesh is so sweet and tender.  It is surprising how much meat you can get off a wing.  They are great to throw on the BBQ, or steam in a pot until the meat just about falls off.

Christmas in the Far North wouldn't be the same without fresh seafood.  The latest weather forecast for Christmas Day is 32 degrees, so our final advice for the perfect tropical christmas lunch is get your seafood prepared, get the barbie stoked up nice and early, make sure the esky is full and in easy reach and then cool down in the pool.  Repeat this dosage throughout the day whenever required! 

Have a great Christmas and a healthy, safe and prosperous New Year

If you’d like more information contact Ron at Seamarkets Australia on the corner of Grant & Warner Streets, or visit the website at www.seamarketsaustralia.com