We've trawled the supermarkets and the fish markets looking for the pick of the catch, and checking whether the prices will rise before the big day.

Australians eat 43,000 tonnes of fresh and frozen prawns a year, and at Christmas we peel our way through 4000 tonnes of the sweet, salty crustacean.

In 2010 our prawn industry was worth $324.1 billion and over the past five years the big supermarkets have aggressively chased a bigger slice of the prawn pie.

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In past festive seafood frenzies customers have complained that supermarkets jack up their prawn prices. But it's an allegation that Marcus Walta, head of seafood at Coles, denies.

"We see a massive demand in increase for prawns at Christmas but we don't put the price up. We put the price down," he said.

Last week Woolies tiger prawns were $27.99 per kilo, and this week there's no change.

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And Coles are true to their word. Last week tiger prawns were just $23 per kilo, and the promise is that price won't change.

John Susman is a leading seafood consultant and insists prawns are no longer the sole domain of cashed up customers.

"I think the supermarkets have done an outstanding job in the last ten years in terms of lifting the quality of the category," Susman said.

Today Tonight's latest food stories

• 2 slices white bread (crust off)
• 8 raw vannemei prawns
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 egg white
• Salt to taste
• Flaxseed or Avocado oil to fry in

• Mince with a knife four prawns and add garlic, salt, egg white
• Flatten out bread and smear on prawn mix
• To each slice of bread place two prawns on top of smeared mixture and roll bread to form a cyclinder
• Shallow fry in oil on medium heat until cooked through and golden brown

• 500g cooked tiger prawns
• 12 slices Serrano ham
• Handful sage leaves
• 6 Breakfast radish – sliced
• Aioli
• 50ml olive oil

• Mix prawns with olive oil, radish and sage
• Place slices of Serrano ham on a large flat plate
• Fill in gaps on plate with aioli
• Place prawn mixture on ham

• 6 Ocean king prawns
• 2 Butter lettuce hearts
• Romesco Sauce

• 2 finely chopped roasted red capsicum
• 50g salted capers
• 100g chopped dill cucumber
• 100ml olive oil
• 80ml white wine vinegar
• Torn basil
• Salt to taste

• Mix all ingredients for romesco together
• Place prawns inside butter lettuce hearts
• Spoon sauce over the top

More stories from reporter James Thomas

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