9 Tricks That Will Make Your Christmas Prawns Even More Enjoyable

Warning: This post contains delightfully prawnographic content.

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1. To remove nasty ~prawn stank~ from your hands, wash them with cold water and a squeeze of lemon juice.

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Save the warm water and soap routine for a less funky occasion.

2. If cold prawns freak you out, add some oil, garlic, lemon, and spices for a delicious addition to your Christmas Day barbecue.

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Dried chilli flakes, ground coriander, and chopped parsley all add a tasty twist.

3. And if you do decide to barbecue, king prawns and farmed tiger prawns are best.

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"My personal favourite is the tiger prawn from Skull Island in the Gulf of Carpentaria," Roberta Muir, Sydney Seafood School manager told BuzzFeed Life.

4. Make the ultimate dipping sauce to compliment your perfectly barbecued beauties.

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"The best way to bring grilled prawns to life is to lightly brush them with oil, season, grill, and serve with a chilli mayonnaise made from Sriracha hot sauce and Kewpie mayonnaise," says Jeremy Strode, executive chef at The Fish Shop, Sydney.

5. When buying prawns ensure your new friends are fresh AF by checking the colour and smell.

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"Fresh prawns will be bright orange and red with no discolouration, particularly at the joints," says Muir. "The shell should be lustrous and intact, and everything should have a fresh ocean smell."

6. It might sound simple, but the best way to stop your prawns stinking out your fridge is to keep them in a sealed container.

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No, tying the plastic deli bag tightly isn't good enough.

7. Instead of throwing your prawn heads and shells straight in the bin, keep them in the freezer until garbage collection day.

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The leftovers won't go bad while they're frozen and won't have time to defrost if you put them outside just before the garbo comes.

8. Even better, make real use of your extra bits by making your own prawn oil.

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"It's actually really simple. Roast the shells with a bit of tomato paste and a few herbs. Next, cover with olive oil and infuse on a very low heat for about an hour. What you're left with is prawn oil, which is great with shellfish pasta dishes," says Strode.

9. Double check the opening hours of your local fish market as some, like the Sydney Fish Market, are open right around the clock.

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"The best way to avoid the Christmas fish market rush is to come in the middle of the night during our 36-Hour Seafood Marathon. The atmosphere is fun and it’s not as crowded," says Muir. If you're local isn't open at midnight it's generally first in, first served.

Happy holidays, Australia. May your prawns be fresh and your fridge stay scentless.

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