Growing up in a busy fishing family in Southland, Doug Paulin always had big aspirations.
With fishing in his blood and following years of hard work, his appointment as CEO of Sealord in October 2020 seemed like a natural fit.
The past year has been a busy one for Doug and the entire Sealord whānau, filled with both challenges and achievements. Here, Doug reflects on his favourite summer memories, touches on the year that was and shares a delicious kaimoana recipe.
Tell us about you. What did you do before seafood?
As long as I can remember I had the aspiration to run a significant New Zealand business, and I set my mind to doing that. I had to find a way to get further education with no money (Royal New Zealand Airforce),build a career with a corporate to get broad business experience (Lion Breweries New Zealand), get experience as a CEO in a smaller business (Hubbards), before joining New Zealand’s now largest seafood company, Sealord.
Have you always been a seafood enthusiast?
I grew up in Riverton as part of a fishing family, so seafood has been in my veins from a young age. My dad, Colin, was a skipper (unticketed in those days) of the FV Da Vinci; his brother Ron also had his own boat, so fishing was very much “in the family”. I have many memories of being in Foveaux Strait with Dad, getting the thumbs up as I stood in the bow with waves crashing around me – not something I would allow my kids to do these days, life jackets are a must.
Do you have an underrated species you love to talk about?
Silver warehou has a beautiful flavour, with good fat content (at certain times of the year) and a firm white texture. It’s very versatile and great for sashimi. The fish is highly prized in Japan but less familiar to Kiwis.
What are your favourite summer seafood memories?
For me it was trips to Monkey Island (between Orepuki and Tuatapere) with our whānau and then having openfire BBQs on the beach. We would cook flounder, crabs (caught in drag nets in the surf) and crayfish from Dad’s and Uncle’s boats – mostly legs, as the bodies were worth too much even in those days.
We got free rein to disappear and just turn up at some stage back at the cars, which were driven on to the beach. That’s probably why cars rusted so quickly in Southland. PS: there are no monkeys at Monkey Island.
How would you describe 2024 – pleased to see the back of it or looking back at it fondly?
A bit of both – it’s been a challenging year with a range of obstacles to overcome, like a poor squid catch to name just one. Together with the Sealord whānau, we all worked really hard to deliver a positive outcome and it’s great that all three parts of the Sealord Group (Independent Fisheries Ltd, Sealord and Petuna) hit their plan number. Pleasingly the mahi has paid off.
What do you have planned for summer 2024/25?
All my whānau are gathering in Riverton for Christmas and we’ll enjoy a seafood extravaganza with blue cod, oysters, crayfish and more, plus a nice bit of steak thrown in. It’ll be our first Christmas without Mum so that’ll be a bit sad. Then back home to Nelson to relax, before heading to the Sounds for a New Year’s Eve getaway with friends.
What do you recommend we serve with your summer seafood recipe?
A nice cold Steinlager Classic or six, a fresh salad and some homecooked, crunchy potato roasties – par-boil potatoes first, smash them up a bit, bake with olive oil and salt in a hot oven for 40 minutes, then add crushed garlic and chopped rosemary to the baked spuds for another 10 minutes at the end.
Doug’s Sealord BBQ orange roughy
Ingredients:
| • 2 orange roughy fillets • 1 large lemon, sliced into thin rounds • ½ small red onion, thinly sliced • 2 cloves garlic, minced | • 1 tbsp capers, drained and rinsed • ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped • 1 tbsp olive oil • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste • Aluminium foil (heavy-duty works best for BBQ) |
Method:
Rinse the orange roughy fillets under cold water and pat them dry. Season both sides of the fillets with salt and pepper.
Cut two large pieces of aluminium foil, enough to fully wrap each fillet. In the centre of each piece of foil, layer a few lemon slices to act as a bed for the fish. Place one fillet on top of the lemon slices and top each fillet with red onion slices, garlic, capers and a sprinkle of parsley. Drizzle with olive oil for added moisture and flavour.
Fold the foil tightly around the fish and toppings to create a sealed packet, leaving a bit of space inside for steam to circulate. Preheat your BBQ to medium-high heat.
Place the foil packets directly on the grill. Cook for 8–12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets. The fish is ready when it’s opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
Carefully open the foil packets (watch out for steam) and transfer the fillets and toppings to a plate. Spoon over any juices from the packet and garnish with extra parsley or a fresh squeeze of lemon juice.
