Top 37 Oceanian Seafood Dishes

Salt and pepper calamari is a Chinese cuisine-inspired dish that’s so popular in Australia it might even be called one of Australia’s national dishes. The calamari, or squid in some cases, is covered in salt-and-pepper batter, then deep-fried to crispy perfection. The dish is often prepared and served as a bar or pub snack, and it often comes garnished with garlic, fried chili, and spring onions. Salt and pepper calamari is so widely available in the country that it can be found everywhere from cafés to pubs, restaurants, and bistros. The only thing that’s important is that the seafood should be fresh, and the seafood to batter ratio should be similar in size and coating.Expand

This dish is a New Zealander version of the classic English fish and chips. It is believed that fish and chips was introduced to New Zealand before World War I by British settlers. The dish is traditionally served wrapped in newspaper, and it's typically eaten on a Friday night as a takeaway treat. The fish is usually tarahiki, hoki, red cod, blue warehou, or elephant fish (elephant shark) - battered, fried, then served with chips.Expand

Shrimp or prawn cocktail is a seafood dish consisting of cooked prawns served in a glass with cocktail sauce. The dish has vague origins, but most people claim that it was invented by a 19th-century miner from California who first used oysters in a glass with a sauce, but the Golden Gate Hotel in Las Vegas was the first to offer a 50-cent shrimp cocktail in 1959. It was served in a tulip glass with cocktail sauce. The cocktail sauce usually consists of ketchup and horseradish or ketchup and mayonnaise. This iconic dish was especially popular from the 1960s to the 1980s.Expand

Whitebait fritters are considered a delicacy in New Zealand and they are the most popular way of preparing whitebait. The recipe is quite simple, which is in contrast to the rather pricey fish. The batter is made from eggs and flour, to which fry fish is added, then seasoned with salt and pepper, but purists will advise to limit the use of flour and just use egg whites instead of whole eggs as too much eggs, flour, and spices can interfere with the taste of fish. These fritters can be consumed as a snack, enjoyed as an appetizer, or even a main meal when paired with a fresh salad on the side.Expand

Poisson cru is a Tahitian national dish that consists of raw tuna, lime juice, various vegetables, and coconut milk. It is also known as ia ota or e'ia ota, which means raw fish. The dish is prepared by briefly marinating tuna in lime juice, and then coconut milk is added to mellow its acidity. For a more authentic dish, fresh coconut meat is wrapped in cloth, and the milky juice is then squeezed over the fish and vegetables. Poisson cru is sweet, refreshing, and exotic, and can be found almost anywhere in Tahiti.Expand

Kokoda is a traditional dish made with fresh, raw fish such as mahi-mahi or snapper that is marinated in a combination of coconut milk and citrus juices such as lemons and limes. The coconut milk is added in order to balance out the acid. Fijian variety of ceviche is often garnished or combined with additional ingredients such as sea salt, minced chilis, finely sliced green onions, and coriander leaves.Expand

Rye whiskey gravlax consists of thin slices of fish that have been cured in a rye whiskey-based marinade. Fresh fillets of brown trout, sea trout, or salmon with their pin bones removed are generously seasoned with salt, sugar, and freshly cracked pepper, and then drizzled with Tasmanian rye whiskey before they are allowed to soak for at least 12 hours in the fridge. After soaking in the marinade, the fish fillets are rinsed and patted dry, and they can be served for breakfast, brunch, or as an appetizer. Paper-thin and delicate slices of gravlax with a hint of spiciness from the rye whiskey go well with anything from rye or sourdough bread, toasts, remoulades, boiled eggs, pickles, cream cheese, onions, dill, potatoes, asparagus, and rocket.Expand

Barramundi cod is a fish specialty of Marshallese cuisine that is considered one of the national dishes of the islands. A whole fresh barramundi cod is seasoned, then tightly wrapped within banana leaves and baked until thoroughly cooked. The leaves allow the fish to retain its moisture and delicate flavor - often described as sweet and buttery - while at the same time imparting a pleasant fragrance of the banana leaf to the dish. The fish can be accompanied by traditional rice balls known as chukuchuk, sweet potatoes, and a fresh salad. Banana-leaf barramundi cod is offered in numerous restaurants on the islands.Expand

Dating back to the 19th century in Hobart, Tasmanian scallop pie is a savory treat consisting of fresh Tasmanian scallops that are smothered in curry sauce and tucked into puff pastry, which is then baked to perfection. This classic pie has been traditionally prepared in seaside bakeries throughout the state, and it uses freshly plucked Tasmanian scallops hailing from the East Coast of the state. The curry sauce contains ingredients such as finely diced carrots, onions, potatoes, celery, and corn kernels, and it is seasoned with a variety of spices such as cumin, coriander, and fenugreek. Piping hot scallop pie is usually enjoyed with a side of chips, a salad, and a glass of fine Tasmanian lager beer. This seafood specialty can only be savored in cafes and restaurants in the state when it’s scallop season, but it is usually available in bakeries throughout the whole year. Expand

Roasted lobster tails with coconut curry dipping sauce is a culinary preparation originating from the Republic of Kiribati. The development of this dish is a direct result of the geographic availability of the spiny lobster, which inhabits the seaward edges of coral reefs, and the ubiquitous presence of the coconut palm across the archipelago. The integration of curry powder into the local diet stems from historical trade routes and British colonial influence in the Gilbert Islands during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which introduced processed spice blends to the region. Preparation begins with the selection of fresh lobster tails, which are split longitudinally and seasoned with salt and lime juice before being roasted over open flames or in an oven at approximately 200°C until the flesh reaches an internal temperature of 60°C. The dipping sauce is constructed by extracting the liquid from grated coconut meat and simmering it with curry powder, minced garlic, and bird's eye chilies until the emulsion thickens. The lobster is served in its own shell to retain heat and is presented alongside the warm curry reduction. It is eaten as a significant protein source during communal gatherings known as botaki in local maneaba (meeting houses), or increasingly in hospitality venues catering to tourism. The dish is eaten by dipping pieces of the roasted tail into the sauce, often accompanied by local starches such as boiled breadfruit (te mai), taro, or te babai (giant swamp taro) which serve to neutralize the heat of the curry. Beverage pairings include fresh coconut water served directly from the shell, which provides an electrolyte-rich and cooling counterpoint to the spice, or a dry white wine, which possesses the acidity required to balance the saturated fats of the coconut cream.Expand