Fish, Glorious Fish

Apologies to any vegetarian or vegan readers. Feel free to look away! For fish lovers, enjoy!

Fish, glorious fish. When constructing this post, i wondered when and where my love affair with fish began. I spent a lot of my childhood summers in italy and remember my parents being big fish eaters. When dining out in restaurants we often ordered grilled fish as a main course. Maybe that’s where it all started.

As an adult, fish features heavily in my weekly nutrition. I mostly observe the paleo/cavemen diet, so no surprise at my high intake of animal protein. That aside, i cannot imagine stopping eating fish.

Some fish have become an endangered species through overfishing and research suggests that unless we change the way we fish and the seafood we choose to eat, global stocks will be fully exploited within the next generation. It is always good to be fully informed, so we can make wiser choices when out shopping. I recommend the MSC website for more information on where to buy certified sustainable fish. For those interested to know more about this topic watch the incredible documentary the end of the line.

When shopping for fish, i go to my trusted sources which are either my fishmonger or some independent fisheries that catch their own. What’s most important to me is for the fish to be freshly caught, wild and sustainable and my preferred choices are: sardines, herrings, mackerel, salmon, trout, bream, seabass and turbot.

I’ve chosen some fish recipes i’ve either tried myself or thought you might enjoy. I hope there’s something here for each one of you. 

Let’s start with the delicious smoked mackerel. Always a staple in the fridge, for those rushed moments when a little snack is needed with no time to cook. This recipe is delicious:

smoked mackerel & celeriac coleslaw

Fresh cornish mackerel is my favourite. It’s going on the bbq this weekend (yes, hot weather is predicted!) There are so many ways to cook this most wonderful fish, but i prefer the simple method!

Mackerel barbecued over bay

Samphire is a type of marsh grass grown naturally on sea inlets. It lives off nutrients from the sea and produces robust, green stalks similar to baby asparagus, hence the name.

It’s an unusual ingredient, but it works so well as an accompaniment to fish, shellfish and lamb or even as an alternative to a side dish of asparagus.

Mark hix’s samphire omelette

If you have never cooked lobster, give it a go It’s not difficult and sooooooo good.

I love cooking john dory. Here’s a few recipes for you to choose from:

“Fines the claire are one of the most sought after oysters for their unique flavor and color. Adult oysters are moved to special marshes called “claires” in french, which contain very clear water and a high level of minerals and algae, giving the oysters a very distinctive flavor and greenish color from the chlorophyll.”

I love eating my oysters raw, with a bit of lemon and shallot and vinegar dressing. For those who don’t like their oysters raw, here is a selection of recipes to experiment with.

Wild sea bream is the business. You can find pink or black ones. I usually cook them whole in parchment paper or foil. Here’s a recipe with video how to cook bream fillets in a bag.

Wild turbot is another fantastic fish. I like to make it for special occasions.  Here’s a simple but perfect recipe:

Roasted whole turbot with cherry tomatoes

Wild seabass is probably my ever favourite fish. I’ve been making this recipe (with variations) for years and years.

Jamie oliver’s baked seabass in a bag

There are so many ways to cook prawns. Here’s a another lovely jamie oliver recipe for you.

Well, i’m off to plan what fish to buy for an all weekend bbq. The weather in london is looking to be hot, hot, hot. Happy weekend to ya all x