The banana prawn

I love this time of year when the weather starts to heat up; barbecues are getting cleaned and prepped, markets are stocking up with spring foods, new vegetables and delicious seafoods.

Banana prawns are returning to the markets, and make great-value additions to your shopping basket. Not only are they an economical alternative to the bigger king prawn, they are much more tasty.

They are generally found all over the northern half of the Australian coastline from Shark Bay in WA to the northern beaches of NSW. The flavour is light and very sweet, great for shallow frying or grilling on a hot barbecue.

My favourite way is on the barbecue, with the legs and head trimmed off, but the shell left on the body, then tossed in olive oil and thrown onto a really hot griddle on the barbecue. After a minute or two of cooking, add some chopped garlic, a few finely-chopped red chillies, some finely sliced basil leaves, fresh ground sea salt and pepper, and then serve with a wedge of lime and of course — a cold beer.

The skins will be crispy, and you can actually eat the shell if cooked correctly. These prawns are great in Asian stir-fries, and particularly in this fantastic Thai coconut curry — click for recipe!

One of the most common misconceptions in life is "the bigger the better" and prawns are one of the things that suffer from this mistaken belief. Little banana prawns make great salt and pepper deep-fried prawns where you can eat the head and all.

Although you can buy cheap frozen imported prawns and prawn meat from other countries, I recommend buying local seafood in season any day. They are cleaner, safer and tastier. For example, just head to the Sydney Fish Market on a Friday or Saturday morning and check out the wide array of home-grown produce. Even the Japanese are envious of the huge variety, selection and even price.

Some tips on buying prawns/shellfish:

• Always buy locally and in season.

• Ask the fishmonger if you can touch and smell the prawn or shellfish; it should simply smell like the sea, clean and fresh.

• Never buy prawns or shellfish which are limp or soft.

• The tail or body should not be firmly attached to head and not loose.

• Buy fresh and whole if available and don't freeze when you get home. Buy on the day you intend to consume.

• Wear rubber gloves when cleaning prawns and shellfish.

  So throw another (banana) prawn (shrimp) on the barbie. PS. Try a riesling such as a Clare Valley Grosset or Pikes or a lightly wooded chardonnay with your prawns! Enjoy!