How to Make a Show-Stopping Seafood Platter for Easter

TL;DR — Order by Thursday, assemble no more than 30 minutes before guests arrive, and put the crab in the centre — the rest builds itself around it.

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The Traditional Easter Seafood Spread on the Gold Coast

Good Friday is the one day a year when seafood moves from a dinner choice to a cultural event on the Gold Coast. Families gather, the long weekend stretches ahead, and a well-built seafood platter is the table centrepiece that earns the weekend.

The Gold Coast version leans local: Queensland king prawns are non-negotiable, Moreton Bay bugs add regional identity, and fresh oysters on ice are the opening act. Smoked salmon and a cooked mud crab or sand crab round it out. This is the spread that families here have built around Easter for decades, and it works because every element can be served cold, assembled without cooking, and grazed across several hours.

Quantities by Group Size

Plan on 400g of mixed seafood per person as a main meal, or 250g per person if serving alongside other dishes.

| Guests | King Prawns | Oysters | Smoked Salmon | Crab or Bugs | Sashimi | |--------|-------------|---------|---------------|--------------|---------| | 6 | 1.5 kg | 2 dozen | 300 g | 1 medium crab | 300 g | | 10 | 2.5 kg | 3 dozen | 500 g | 2 crabs or 6 bugs | 500 g | | 20 | 5 kg | 6 dozen | 1 kg | 4 crabs or 12 bugs | 1 kg |

For 20 people, place two separate platters rather than one unwieldy board — this allows guests to access the food from all sides and keeps the second platter fresher while the first is being grazed.

Building the Platter from Scratch

What to Buy and in What Order

Start by securing the high-demand items. King prawns and mud crab are what sell out first at Tasman Star around Easter. Lock these in first when you place your order, then add the remaining elements.

The full shopping list for a generous platter for six: 1.5 kg cooked king prawns, 2 dozen fresh oysters, 300g smoked salmon, one medium cooked mud crab or sand crab, 300g sashimi-grade tuna or salmon, a dozen Moreton Bay bugs (optional but worth it), two lemons, and crushed ice. For sauces: aioli, seafood cocktail sauce, and mignonette.

How to Present It

The base is the foundation. Use the largest board or tray you own — a 60cm wooden board or stainless steel tray for six or more. Fill with crushed ice and lay banana leaves or large cos lettuce leaves over the top. The leaves prevent the seafood from direct contact with melt water and add colour contrast.

Place the crab or bug halves in the centre — they're the most dramatic element and everything else builds around them. Mound the prawns next, tails pointing outward in arcs from the centre. Position oysters on their half shells in a cluster with the shells resting on the ice for stability.

Layer smoked salmon in loose folds on one side, and arrange sashimi in overlapping rows on the other. Tuck lemon wedges, lime halves, and fresh dill or flat-leaf parsley into the gaps. Place sauce ramekins at three points around the board so every guest can reach one.

Sauces to Prepare

Three sauces is the minimum: aioli in the centre (it works with everything), mignonette beside the oysters, and seafood cocktail sauce near the prawns. If you're including sashimi, add soy sauce and wasabi in a small dish. All four can be prepared or decanted the morning of the event.

Pre-Order Timing

Order by Thursday to receive Friday delivery. This is the single most important logistical decision for Easter entertaining on the Gold Coast.

At Tasman Star, delivery runs Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. To receive seafood on Good Friday itself, your order needs to be in by Thursday — and given that king prawns and mud crab move fast in the week leading up to Easter, placing the order Tuesday or Wednesday is safer than waiting until Thursday.

For groups of 20 or more, contact the store directly to confirm stock. Large orders on peak weekends benefit from a direct conversation with the team about quantities and any species substitutions.

Tasman Star is open at Labrador (5–7 Olsen Ave) and Varsity Lakes (20 Casua Dr) on Good Friday from 7 AM to 3 PM if you prefer to shop in person on the day — but popular items may be sold out by mid-morning.

Order your Easter platter seafood online or contact the store to discuss a custom build.