Imagine if a fine dining chef decided to serve the same seafood he uses in his restaurants directly to the consumer, and imagine if while serving that seafood, that same chef also offered his expert advice on how to prep, cook, fillet, marinate and plate that produce. That’s the proposition behind chef Stephen Nairn’s Portside, a new fishmonger in Prahran Market dealing in premium delights from the deep, giving you a line into the suppliers, seafarers and fishermen who would otherwise usually only deal direct to restaurants.
Here’s Nairn now with what you might like to order – and why the whelk is better in Mallacoota.
Seasonal is the name of the game at Portside. What should we be ordering from the shop right now?
I’m really enjoying the first-of-the-season wild barramundi that just started trickling through. As a chef, it’s really quite striking the difference between farmed and wild barramundi, and it’s also an exciting time in the kitchens when we can cook with it, so we are extra excited to be able to offer it for the first time to home cooks too. I am also loving the King George whiting that we’ve been receiving from Luke Aneda in Corner Inlet. We’ve also received some stunning bluefin tuna of late.
A notable mention goes out to whelks, a type of sea snail, from Mallacoota. More people need to give whelks a try. They’re delicious.
Got anything light and fresh? Something we could take home and cook up in a flash?
Plenty! Basically all of our fish fillets are wonderful when seared in a pan, but we’ve also got a range of dressings, sauces, bisques and even bouillabaisse that can help deliver complexity in a second. I particularly like the shiso and lime dressing to go with raw fish – our kingfish and snapper especially.
If you’re planning on firing up the barbecue, our octopus skewers that we slow cook in a deep stock are then skewered so they can be grilled or pan-fried, taking hours of work out of it. Or otherwise, grab some fresh scallops dressed with yuzu butter. Two minutes under the grill for a snack attack.
What if we really want to go big and go crazy, what have you got for us?
If you’re wanting to go hard, we have a fantastic range of caviar. We also have kelp-dressed southern rock lobsters. For me, going crazy is building something like a seafood platter. I’d start with our scarlet school prawns and scampi, Hervey Bay scallops, perhaps three varieties of Sydney rock oysters, a few sea urchins from Mallacoota, and probably top it off with a mud crab from further north. I’d have two different butters melted and ready for the dunk – I’ve been leaning towards our sake and pink peppercorn, and our vadouvan butter lately. That feels like a proper celebration to me.
And if we need a little guidance on how or what we should be cooking, can you point us in the right direction?
Absolutely, our team is there to help. No question is too big or too small. We get excited listening to why you might be visiting our little shop, and we love offering suggestions for pairing food and drinks, cooking methods, and writing quick recipes based off what you’re selecting. It’s all a part of the Portside service.
And how about something for those who want maximum deliciousness for minimal effort?
There will be some fish Wellingtons and things en croûte when those colder months come by. For now, while it’s still warm, I would go with the de-boned alpine trout, seasoned with ras el hanout and curry leaf. All you need to do is take it home, season with some extra virgin olive oil and salt, and bake it in the oven at around 180 degrees. Very little work involved. A lot of enjoyment.
And how about a drink to go along with the catch?
I am loving Sailors Grave’s Uni, a sea urchin and lemon myrtle gose. We offer them at Portside and it’s a delicious drop. After seeing firsthand the problem the sea urchins are having on the seabed, I was delighted to see this great idea of introducing it into beer fermentation. Obviously very interesting drinking alongside fresh sea urchin, and great with oysters too!
Portside, Prahran Market, Stall 512/163 Commercial Rd, South Yarra, open Tues and Thurs 7am-4pm, Fri-Sat 7am-5pm and Sun 8am-4pm, @portside.com.au, @portside.melbourne