Christmas Seafood in the Tropics and a Seafood Sauce Recipe

Golden Cassia fistula trees flowering in Cairns late December.
Common name: Cascara, Golden shower, Indian Laburnum

My early morning walk along the golden path in Freshwater, Cairns, Far North Queensland

This year Christmas was in warm tropical Cairns in Far North Queensland, so a departure from the traditional style Christmas lunch was inevitable. Fresh seafood which is so plentiful and locally caught was the obvious choice. Whilst I took some shortcuts with food preparation this year, I prepared a delicious Seafood sauce and an Avocado and lime dressing to accompany our seafood. With Smoked Salmon and Dill Pikelets as an entree, fresh salads and fruit, and chilled bubbly and white wine, we really enjoyed our delicious tropical, seafood Christmas lunch. This was followed of course by traditional Christmas Plum Pudding for dessert.

Seafood Sauce:

1 cup (300g) whole-egg mayonnaise
2 tbs tomato sauce
1 tbs lemon juice
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp ground paprika

1. Combine the mayonnaise, tomato sauce, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and paprika in a small bowl or decorative mug.

2. Cover  with plastic wrap and place in the frig to chill.

This recipe will keep for a couple of weeks.

Avocado and Lime dressing:

1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 ripe avocado, halved, peeled and stone removed
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 cup (60ml) lime juice
2 tbs olive oil

1. Toast cumin in a saucepan over low heat for 1 minute
2. Process in a food processor with avocado, garlic, lime juice and olive oil until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve this sauce and dressing with a delicious seafood platter to serve 8.

Seafood platter:

2 cooked lobsters or 4 Moreton Bay bugs
2 kg prawns
500g smoked salmon slices
Crushed ice, to serve
Lime wedges, to serve.

Best wishes,

 Pauline