Brought to you in partnership with Woolworths.
I say this EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR. but I’ll say it again, I love Easter long weekend. I love how relaxed it is. I love that we’re not spending copious amounts on presents {ahem, Christmas, I’m looking at you} that nobody really needs, and I love that the weather is cooling down a little. I just love it.
Today I am bringing you a budget-friendly seafood fEaster {see what I did there?} so that you can entertain your friends and family and not break the budget. This menu comes down to just $11.08 per person, and includes the best Barramundi, prawns, and an indulgent caramel cake. GET. IN. MY. BELLY. You can get everything from your local Woolworths. I was serving six people here, so everything is based on six people. Of course, if you have more people… just increase the quantities.
Let’s take a minute to talk about the Barramundi. I’m that annoying person that if we ever order fish and chips, I have to make sure that it’s quality fish cos if you’re going to do it, you’ve got to do it right. For me, it’s always Barramundi or Snapper. For this feast I used Humpty Doo Barramundi which is exclusive to Woolworths, and is straight from the beautiful Northern Territory. The beauty about Humpty Doo Barramundi is that it’s no fuss – filleted and ready for you to start cooking. It’s also a versatile fish you can cook in a pan {if you like crispy skin} or you can bake, or do as I did and bake gently in a little paper parcel with some lemon and butter.
Onto the menu…
These prawn cups never ever fail, I tell you. They’re fresh and delicious, and you could do a whole platter if you want. It’s such a light way to kick off a lunch. Simply grab some gem lettuce and break into individual leaves. Top with a sliver of avocado, a teaspoon of Birch and Waite cocktail sauce, and then with a Aussie Tiger prawn. Serve immediately.
Ready for mains? Let’s go! Place each Humpty Doo Barramundi fillet on baking paper, top with 1 tablespoon of butter, a slice of lemon and salt and pepper. Wrap and place into the oven to cook for 15 minutes.
Look at how bright green those beans are! So much crunch. Cook the beans {500g} in boiling water for 3 minutes and then place in icy cold water to stop them cooking. Doing this keeps the beans bright green and crisp. In a dry frying pan, roast 60g of slivered almonds over medium heat until just light brown. Finely chop half a red onion. To make the dressing, combine 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon of honey and salt and pepper – and mix. On a platter place the beans, top with almonds and onion, and then drizzle the dressing over.
And who doesn’t love a crunchy roast potato. Chop 1kg of chat potatoes in half and place into boiling water. Boil until just soft {but not falling apart}. Place into a roasting dish with 1/3 cup of vegetable oil at 200ºC and cook for 45 minutes. {It’s best to start making these first as these take the most time}.
And now… the grand finale! Let’s just call it an indulgent butter cake with cream and caramel. The night before your FEaster, make your caramel. Fill a deep medium saucepan with water, and bring to the boil. Take the label off your condensed milk, and place the closed tin into a saucepan. Make sure the water covers the can at all times. Simmer uncovered for 3 hours. Let cool before opening. Using beaters, beat the caramel when cool to make a more usable consistency.
The cake is so easy. It’s the Woolworths butter cake mix, and it costs only $0.75 per packet. Everyone should always keep these in their pantry. I used three of these and made three cakes. Let the cakes cool completely. Then beat 600ml of thickened cream until nice and fluffy, and layer up the cake with caramel and cream and top with caramel and cream. Store in the fridge until you’re ready to enjoy!
How are you spending Easter this year?
PRAWN CUPS : $8.20 for 6 serves
Australian Tiger Prawns $25/kg | $4.15 for 6 serves
Gem lettuce – $4 | $2 for 6 serves
Avocado – $2 | $1 for 6 serves
Birch and Waite Seafood Sauce – $4.20 | $1.05 for 6 serves
BARRAMUNDI PARCELS : $36.30 for 6 serves
Humpty doo barramundi – $11 | $33 for 6 serves
Butter – $5.00 | $1.20 for 6 serves
Odd Bunch Lemons – $2.50 | $0.83 for 6 serves
ROAST POTATOES : $3.74 for 6 serves
Baby chat potatoes – $3.50 | $3.50 for 6 serves
Vegetable oil – $4.75 | $0.24 for 6 serves
BEAN SALAD : $6.59 for 6 serves
Green Beans {500g} – $6.90/kg | $3.45 for 6 serves
Slivered almonds – $3.50 | $1.75 for 6 serves
Red onion – $0.53 | $0.53 for 6 serves
Extra Virgin Olive Oil – $7.00 | $0.42 for 6 serves
Dijon Mustard – $2.00 | $0.15 for 6 serves
Balsamic Vinegar – $2.70 | $0.08 for 6 serves
Honey – $5.70 | $0.21 for 6 serves
BUTTER CAKE with caramel and cream : $11.65 for the whole cake
Woolworths Butter Cake Mix – $0.75 | $2.25 for three packets
Eggs – $4.50 | $2.25 for 6 serves
Full cream milk – $1.29 | $0.75 for 6 serves
Butter – $5.00 | $1.80 for 6 serves
Thickened Cream – $3 | $3 for 6 serves
Condensed milk – $1.60 | $1.60 for 6 serves
