We all think about buckets of prawns or fish fillets on the barbie during summer but winter is actually one of the best times to enjoy Australia’s abundance of seafood. 

Just like a lot of us, many marine species use winter as an opportunity to put on a bit of extra weight. This means thicker, juicier fillets, and oodles of lovely fat that’s rich in omega-3, one of our best winter defences. Some species even migrate to shallower, warmer waters, making it easier and cheaper to sustainably harvest them. 

Here are some of our favourite species for winter. 

MIRROR DORY 

Arguably just as delicious as its more famous cousin John, Mirror Dory is one of our go-to species for winter. These fish come into their peak in the cooler months when the fillets thicken and become lovely and juicy. 

Due to the abundance of Mirror Dory, and the ease with which it can be caught, especially during winter when they move into the shallower reaches of the continental shelf, it is typically a low-priced fish, sometimes retailing for up to half the price of John Dory. 

Try it pan fried with a reduced citrus sauce. There’s a fab recipe in our cookbook, A Fish for All Seasons. 

AUSTRALIAN SARDINES 

So underrated but so delicious! Sardines are one of the healthiest fish to eat, available year round, and winter is their peak season. 

We recently had the fabulous Julia Busuttil Nishimura do a class at Sydney Seafood School and her Sicilian-style Sardines stuffed with pine nuts, orange, mint, parsley and currants was the business. You can find the recipe in her fabulous book Good Cooking Every Day. 

Use pre-butterflied fillets to make cooking with them quick and easy. Many of our retailers sell Australian Sardines in packets of pre-butterflied fillets, or ask your fishmonger do the filleting hard yards for you. 

ALFONSINO 

At this time of year, we prefer to skip the BBQ in favour of a warming oven, so fish that lend well to being whole roasted, like Alfonsino, are hard to beat. 

During the cooler months Alfonsino are in abundance and premium quality. This bright red fish is stunning to look at and even better to eat. It has a huge mouth, allowing it to eat a diverse diet which gives it a rich flavour profile. A fish that tastes this good doesn’t require much effort to cook and is best steamed or baked whole then placed in the middle of the table for everyone to enjoy. 

BLUE MUSSELS 

Available year round, but exceptionally good eating in winter, Blue Mussels are a delicious, sustainable seafood choice. 

With their sweet, briny flavour and tender texture, they’re perfect steamed, grilled, or added to warming soups or pastas. Rich in protein, omega-3s, and essential minerals like iron and B12, Mussels support heart and brain health while being low in fat and calories. 

When shopping, look for brightly coloured, firm, intact, lustrous shells that are closed or close when tapped or gently squeezed, and a pleasant fresh sea smell. They’re also available in convenient vacuum sealed packs. 

PINK LING 

This denizen of the deep is eaten year-round, chiefly due to how meaty and versatile the fillets are. 

Due to the fat in the flesh, the meat is excellent slow cooked in pies, curries and soups. We also love it threaded onto skewers and grilled on the barbecue or as the star of an epic fish burger. Dip fillets in buttermilk and douse in seasoned flour then deep-fried to super crispiness. Add a caper and cornichon tartare and you’re in burger heaven. 

Hot Pink Ling Skewers with Roti Wraps & Chilli Sambal from ‘A Fish For All Seasons’, the official Sydney Fish Market Cookbook. Get your copy here.