With more than 20,000 kilometres of coastline, Western Australia and pristine seafood go hand in hand.
Local chefs will tell of dropping pots for crabs as readily as they’ll slip a scallop under a hot grill or crack open an Akoya oyster. One such chef is Adam Rees, the lead act at Madalena’s (406 South Tce, Fremantle), where seafood drives the menu and a seat is as coveted as a plate of school prawns and a glass of Swan Valley chenin blanc. Here, Rees runs the rule over some of the state’s best seafood, and we wrap where else to tuck into it. Dive in.
Santini Bar and Grill
Fremantle Octopus
Fremantle Octopus has made a name for its sustainability as much as its exceptional flavour. At Madalena’s, Rees hits the tentacles with charcoal after having braised them in an aromatic brine. “We then chuck it on the barbecue with like a lacquer made of fish sauce, sherry vinegar, oil and pounded garlic, oregano, thyme and chilli,” he says. Nearby, find it at Ethos Deli + Dining Room (88 George St, East Fremantle) where it’s barbecued and served with potato, olive and paprika, or head to Santini Bar & Grill (First Floor, QT Perth, 133 Murray Street, Perth) to see it plated with chickpea, ’nduja and lemon.
Saucer Scallops
Shark Bay, Abrolhos Island and Rottnest Island, among others, all have reputations as scallop fisheries. The through-line, though, is the flavour. “I have them on the menu at all times,” says Rees. Rees’s most recent scallop dish saw the chef plate the brined scallops with mandarin segments, dress them with caramelised mandarin juice and almond milk, then finish it with freeze-dried mandarin. “They’re just texturally incredible,” says Rees. “You chew it, and there’s a little bit of bite, but they’re silky and soft; they’re amazing.”
On the opposite end of the spectrum, it’s hard to beat the Abrolhos Island scallops straight out of the wood oven with a herb crust at Guy Grossi’s Garum (Hibernian Place, 480 Hay Street, Perth).
Akoya
A leading light among WA seafood, Akoya – a pearl oyster sustainably farmed in the waters off Albany and Garden Island – have quickly become an icon. Shane Middleton, chef of Fleur (Ground floor, 531 Wellington Street, Perth), likens them to scallops for their sweetness, clams for their texture, and oysters for everything else. He marinates them in sake, soy, mirin and samphire, adding a Japanese edge to an outstanding local product. Heading south? Stop at Liberté (160-162 Stirling Terrace, Albany) in Albany and try them Rockefeller style with Pernod cream, Gruyère and watercress.
Blue Swimmer Crab
Often called blue manna, these crustaceans grow to mammoth sizes in WA waters. “They’re an absolutely incredible product,” says Rees, who has memories of crabbing with his grandparents in Mandurah. “We’d go to the canals, catch the blue swimmer crabs and then boil 30 of those for the whole family and sit around and dip them in vinegar and clarified butter.”
There are plenty of tours for catching your own in Mandurah over summer, but if you drop into Madalena’s you can expect a more refined take, perhaps with picked meat dressed up with ginger vinegar and nectarine.
Prefer to pair an iconic crustacean with an iconic location? It has to be at Il Lido (88 Marine Parade, Cottesloe) beside Cottesloe Beach, with crab tossed through linguine with capers and chilli.
Il Lido Italian Canteen
Western Rock Lobster
WA rock lobsters may not have claws, but what they lack in nip they make up for with their sweet flesh. Again, Rees has memories of what he fondly calls crayfish. “I had the luxury of going out on Dad’s boat to Rottnest, dropping the pots in, staying a couple of nights, and eating crayfish the whole time.”
If you’re looking to emulate his experience, Rottnest Cruises offers a Luxe Island Seafood Cruise, which takes in the sights of the island, and will see you pull your own lobsters from pots before feasting on the spoils. Or hit up Lobster Shack, who run tours and offer classic preparations.
Prawns
WA has a wide variety of prawns, but it’s the seasonal prawns that get Rees excited, ranging from sweet ama ebi, to bright scarlet, to school prawns from zones such as the Swan and Canning Rivers and the incredible, sweet razor prawns. “Razor prawns are really creamy and soft,” says Rees. “And the ama ebi have a little more bite to them. They’re a little bit sweeter too, so they’re an absolute primo crudo prawn.” Rees might serve these ceviche style, while crunchy fried school prawns often grace the snacks section.
Line-Caught Local Fish
The supply of well-handled fish gracing tables at the state’s top restaurants has only increased, with more species landing in kitchens in better condition than ever. One place to take your pick is harbour-front Kailis Fishmarket Café (46 Mews Rd, Fremantle). Here, prawns, oysters and rock lobster are in plentiful supply, but you’ll most often find locals on the jetty sharing the likes of fish and chips, a crudo of market fish and grilled daily catches, from dhufish to snapper to big-eye tuna. Over at Madalena’s, Adam Rees can’t get enough of Spanish mackerel (which he serves three ways) or nannygai. “Nannygai is my absolute favourite fish, because it makes such a good vessel for any flavour.”
Published January 2022.