Festive meals don’t have to be heavy. Here’s our take on a sumptuous seafood soirée — by the coals, of course.

Ginger Prawn Kebabs

Ingredients 

• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon and 1 lime
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 16 king prawns, deveined with shell intact
• 8 small brown onions, peeled
• 8 Peppadews

Method

1. Whisk together oil, garlic, ginger, citrus juice and zest. Season to taste.
2. Thread prawns, onions (halved if necessary) and Peppadews onto eight metal or pre-soaked wooden skewers. Place kebabs in a baking dish and pour ginger mixture over. Marinate at room temperature, turning occasionally, for 10 minutes.
3. Place kebabs on the braai, turning and basting with marinade occasionally, until lightly charred and cooked through (about four minutes).

SERVES 8. Per serving: 711kJ, 14g fat (2g sat), 9g carbs, 150mg sodium, 1g fibre, 2g protein

Cooking prawns in their shells concentrates the flavour. Plus, licking your fingers while peeling them is half the fun!

Whole Braai’d Fish

Ingredients

• 2 whole salmon or trout (about 1kg each), scaled, gutted and rinsed
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• 10 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp flour (or gluten-free rice flour)

Method

1. Place fish directly on the grates of a grill preheated to medium. When skin is browned on one side (about eight minutes), use two metal spatulas to loosen and carefully flip each fish. Cook for about 10 minutes more or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the fish registers 57°C. Take off grill.
2. Allow fish to cool for five minutes, then remove butcher string and filling before serving.

SERVES 8. Per serving: 1 003kJ, 14g fat, 4g carbs, 460mg sodium, 1g fibre, 25g protein

GO GREEN! Pick these sustainable fish for your braai: angelfish, dorado, hake, snoek, pole-caught tuna, yellowtail, Alaskan wild salmon and rainbow trout.

Weber Oysters With Toasted Quinoa

Ingredients

• 5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 100g thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• ½ tsp chilli flakes
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp minced parsley
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 16 whole live oysters, well rinsed

Method

1. Combine olive oil and butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Sauté prosciutto until crisp. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add lemon juice and zest, chilli flakes, quinoa, salt, parsley and black pepper to taste. Cook over low heat until quinoa is slightly browned and crunchy (about five minutes).
2. Place oysters, cupside up, on the Weber; cover and cook until shells open slightly (about one minute).
3. Using oven mitts, remove oysters from the braai and open the shells with a knife (they should open easily). Spoon quinoa mixture onto each oyster and return to the Weber. Cover and grill for five minutes. Serve immediately.

SERVES 8. Per serving: 1 003kJ, 16g fat (4g sat), 11g carbs, 560mg sodium, 1g fibre, 15g protein