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Main course Fish & Seafood

Food Flavour DNA

Nutritional Values

🔥420kcal
💪42gProtein
🌾9gCarbs
🥑23gFat
🌿3gFibre
⚖️300 gServing

* Per serving · 300 g. May vary.

Allergens

🐟 Fish

Airlie Beach Coral Trout

How to order / say it
Say it Grilled Coral Trout — [KOR-uhl trout]
Order I’d like the grilled coral trout, please.
Say locally

Fresh coral trout grilled simply and served with citrus, herbs, and salad.

Why try it?

Coral trout reflects Airlie Beach’s close relationship with the Great Barrier Reef and local fishing waters. Eating it here connects a relaxed holiday meal with the Whitsundays’ marine identity.

How it tastes

The flesh is delicate, moist, and mildly sweet, with a clean ocean aroma. Grilling adds light char while citrus and herbs keep the finish bright.

Origin & History — first documented: 1980

Coral trout became a signature Whitsunday restaurant ingredient during Airlie Beach’s tourism expansion in the late 20th century. Local commercial fishing supplied the town’s waterfront restaurants with reef fish. By the 1980s and 1990s, simply grilled coral trout had become a familiar regional dining style. Its association with reef waters continues to define Airlie Beach seafood menus.

Recipe

Ingredients

  • 🐟 360 g coral trout fillets
  • 🫒 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 🍋 1 lemon
  • 🧄 2 cloves garlic
  • 🌿 15 g parsley
  • 🥕 120 g mixed salad leaves
  • 🥕 150 g cherry tomatoes
  • 🧂 3 g sea salt

Method

  1. 1 Pat the fish dry and season with salt, lemon zest, and crushed garlic.
  2. 2 Heat olive oil in a hot grill pan and cook the fillets skin-side down for 4 minutes.
  3. 3 Turn and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until just opaque in the center.
  4. 4 Rest briefly and serve with parsley, lemon wedges, and dressed salad.

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