Getting great seafood for your Christmas feast is a bit more than heading down to the supermarket to see what’s on special.

Ordering Christmas lunch well ahead of the big day doesn’t just make you feel super organised. You also get to drop by the fishmonger on Christmas Eve and go straight to the front of the queue – what’s not to love?

Yellow Pages dropped by famous Carlton institution Canals Seafood to get the inside story on the best seafood picks for Christmas.  

Peter Canals, who grew up in the Nicholson Street store while his father worked behind the counter, suggests the top picks for a Christmas feast are a holy trinity of prawns, crayfish and oysters. But a whole fish such as salmon or a local snapper makes a stunning centrepiece on your Christmas table.   

With seafood as with all fresh foods, always look out for what’s in season – this guarantees the best price and quality. Ask your fishmonger what’s in season – they’ll know the best stock like the back of their hand.

Deliciously creamy oysters are always popular

At Christmas, look out for meaty Pacific oysters and plump, creamy Sydney rock oysters. While most oysters are sold in the half shell, aficionados prefer to shuck them themselves, preserving the delicious salty liquid in the shell.

Are prawns our national Christmas dish?

Prawns are practically our national Christmas feast. Look out for wild king prawns from South Australia, northern NSW and QLD or tiger prawns from WA. Don’t hesitate to buy frozen green (raw) prawns, but allow them to defrost slowly over 48 hours in a covered container in the fridge.

Lobsters, or crayfish, make a simple feast extra-special

Want something really special? You can’t beat a lobster for a stunning Christmas feast. Southern rock lobsters, also known as crayfish are at their best in early summer. If you’re not up to killing the creature yourself on Christmas morning, you can buy them ready boiled and chilled.  

A beautiful local snapper for a stunning centrepiece

Impress your mother-in-law with a whole salmon or snapper, barbecued, roasted or poached, on the Christmas table alongside your ham and turkey.

Look out for Atlantic salmon from Tasmania or king salmon from New Zealand.

If you are buying a whole fish, you’ll want to make sure it’s the finest quality.  Here are our top tips:

• Fresh fish has shiny, almost slimy skin;
• Scales should be intact;
• Eyes should be bright and clear;
• Gills should be red;
• Fillets should be shiny and wet
• Fresh fish smells like the sea. It should never smell fishy.
• It should feel firm and slightly rubbery, and wet and slippery. Don’t be afraid to ask to feel the fish.

For the freshest fish and the best advice, head to your local fishmonger. Yellow Pages can help you find one in your neighbourhood.