Lobster with parsley and chilli dressing

When Nino Paratore describes how he cooks rock lobster on his backyard barbecue, you can tell that fishing is in his blood. “I split the raw lobster in half and put it on the barbecue to let the meat cook inside the shell,” he says. “I let the shell be the conductor and don’t turn it over at all.” Nino uses his wife’s dressing that makes his lobster the star attraction.

Fishing is a profession that goes back through the generations of Nino’s family in Sicily. So it was no surprise when Nino and his brother Tim took to it at a young age. “When we were kids we used to go squidding and get the mussels off the jetties, as well as catching blue swimmer crab,” says Nino. “But our family’s always been into rock lobsters.”

Today, Nino and Tim carry on the family tradition on their boat that leaves before dawn to fish sustainably in the seas near their home in Perth. It’s likely that some of their catch will make an appearance on Christmas Day, when they celebrate with a big family lunch. “Everyone helps out with the food,” Nino says. There’s also a few Italian favourites on the menu. “Especially if we go to my mum’s,” Nino explains. “We enjoy homemade lasagne and roast chicken.” And after lunch? “Everyone goes to the other side of the family and the feasting starts all over again,” he says with a laugh.