5 Easy Easter Seafood Recipes for the Whole Family

TL;DR — A practical Easter seafood menu for families cooking for six or more: start with a no-cook prawn cocktail platter while the oven warms up, then choose your main from four options ranging from ten minutes of effort to forty.

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Planning Easter Seafood for a Crowd

The mistake most families make is attempting one ambitious centrepiece and running into trouble. A better approach is a graduated menu: something cold and zero-effort for the first half hour while people arrive and the kitchen heats up, then a main that matches the cook's confidence level. All five options below are designed for groups of six or more.

1. Prawn Cocktail Platter — No Cooking Required

This is your arrival anchor. Set it out while you manage the rest and it buys you 30 minutes of kitchen time without anyone going hungry.

Buy 1.5kg of cooked and peeled king prawns. Arrange on a large platter over crushed ice with lemon wedges, a bowl of Marie Rose sauce (3 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon tomato sauce, a squeeze of lemon, and a dash of Worcestershire), and a bowl of cocktail sauce. Add half a dozen Pacific oysters on the half shell in one corner if you want something more impressive for adult guests. No plates needed — napkins and a small fork are enough.

For Easter specifically, this platter doubles as a low-effort appetiser and a reason for the table to gather while the main event cooks.

2. Oysters on Ice — 10 Minutes, Zero Cooking

A dozen oysters for six people is a starter; three dozen is a statement. Buy pre-shucked if you do not own an oyster knife. Set them in a deep tray over ice.

Three sauces that take under 2 minutes each: a squeeze of fresh lemon (simplest and usually the favourite); a small bowl of white wine vinegar with finely diced shallots; a teaspoon of sriracha mixed with a tablespoon of lime juice. Let people choose. Oysters on ice require no heat and no timing — they are impossible to overcook.

3. Grilled Whole Snapper — 35–45 Minutes, Feeds 6

A whole fish on the grill or in the oven is the Easter showpiece. It looks spectacular, costs less per kilogram than fillets, and stays moist because the bones retain heat and moisture during cooking.

For six people, buy two whole snappers at around 800g each, or one at 1.5–1.8kg. Ask the fishmonger to scale and gut them. Score the flesh three times on each side with a sharp knife — cuts about 1cm deep — to help the heat penetrate.

Stuff the cavity of each fish with two sliced lemon rounds, two garlic cloves, a handful of fresh parsley, and a few sprigs of thyme. Drizzle with olive oil and season generously.

To grill: preheat a gas grill to high and oil the grates well. Cook whole snapper over direct heat for 8 to 10 minutes per side, lid down, for a 1kg fish. For a 1.5kg fish, allow 10 to 12 minutes per side. The skin should be charred and lifting away from the flesh; the flesh at the thickest point near the spine should be white and pull away cleanly with a fork.

To bake: preheat oven to 200°C. Place fish in a roasting tray with a splash of white wine and a few lemon slices underneath. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes for a 1kg fish, 35 to 40 minutes for 1.5kg.

4. Baked Salmon Side — 30 Minutes, Feeds 6–8

A whole salmon side is the most crowd-friendly Easter main. It serves itself, slices easily, and looks impressive with almost no effort.

For six to eight people, buy a 900g–1.2kg salmon side, skin on. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Make the marinade: 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard, 2 minced garlic cloves, juice of 1 lemon, salt and pepper. Spread evenly over the flesh side. Lay thin lemon slices along the top.

Bake at 200°C (180°C fan) for 18 to 22 minutes. The salmon is done when the thickest part flakes with gentle pressure but still has a slight translucency at the very centre. Pull it out at that point — it will finish cooking on the tray as it rests for 5 minutes. Slice into portions at the table and serve with a green salad and crusty bread.

This recipe also works cold the next day over sourdough or with crackers, which matters when you have a large group and inevitably have leftovers.

5. Garlic Butter Prawns — 15 Minutes, Perfect Side or Shared Main

This is the fastest hot dish on the table and the one that disappears first.

In a large, wide pan over high heat, melt 60g of butter with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add 4 minced garlic cloves and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add 1.5kg of raw peeled prawns in a single layer. Cook for 90 seconds per side — the moment they curl into a C-shape and turn pink, they are done. Squeeze over the juice of one lemon, scatter with chopped flat-leaf parsley, and season.

Serve straight from the pan with crusty bread. The buttery sauce in the bottom of the pan is the best part. Warn people early or it will be gone before the last guests sit down.

The key with prawns: high heat and no crowding. If the pan is too full, the prawns steam instead of sear, and the sauce goes watery instead of glossy.

Buying for Easter at Tasman Star

For groups of six or more, order early. Good Friday is the busiest day of the year for fresh seafood on the Gold Coast, and stock of whole snapper and large salmon sides moves quickly. Order online by Wednesday for Thursday delivery. Visit our Labrador store (5–7 Olsen Ave) or Varsity Lakes store (20 Casua Dr) — the team can portion fillets and advise on quantities for your group size.

Browse prawns, salmon, snapper, oysters and all Easter seafood at Tasman Star.