History
Moreton Bay bug is the Australian name for Thenus orientalis, a slipper lobster of the Indian and Pacific oceans that the UN Food and Agriculture Organization calls the flathead lobster; the name comes from Moreton Bay in Brisbane. It lives on muddy and sandy bottoms from northern New South Wales around to Shark Bay in Western Australia and is caught mainly between Cairns and Bundaberg as bycatch of the prawn and scallop fisheries. It is sometimes confused with the Balmain bug.
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Common allergens: Crustacean
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 4 fresh Moreton Bay bugs, around 200g each
- 80g unsalted butter, softened
- 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- Small bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- Sea salt and cracked black pepper
- Lemon wedges, to serve
Method
- Place bugs belly-side up on a chopping board. With a heavy sharp knife, halve each bug lengthways through the head and tail.
- Combine softened butter with garlic, lemon zest, parsley, sea salt and pepper in a small bowl.
- Heat a chargrill or barbecue to medium-high. Spread garlic butter generously over the cut side of each bug half.
- Place flesh-side down on the grill for 2 minutes. Flip to shell-side down, top with more garlic butter, and grill another 4 minutes until tail meat is opaque.
- Squeeze lemon juice over and serve with extra wedges and crusty bread.
Tip from the editors. Buy live or fresh-frozen bugs from Brisbane fish markets. Tail meat overcooks fast; pull off the grill the moment it turns opaque white.
Where to eat moreton bay bug
Moreton Bay Bug in Brisbane
Donna Chang ★ 4.5
Donna Chang gives the centuries old traditions of Cantonese and Sichuan cuisines a modern approach, inside a heritage-listed former bank on George Street.
Stanley Restaurant ★ 4.6
Stanley is on the river at Howard Smith Wharves, where Head Chef Louis Tikaram's menu brings seafood, meat, vegetables and fruit to Cantonese flavours.
e'cco bistro ★ 4.7
e'cco bistro opened in 1995 and now sits at Haven in Newstead, cooking premium Australian seafood and seasonal produce with wood-fired technique.
Blackbird Bar & Grill ★ 4.4
Blackbird is a riverfront restaurant at 123 Eagle Street, open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner, with an outdoor terrace and three private dining rooms.
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