Back to Basics.......using the Fishmonger

SailorSam

I like any sort of fish, i could eat it everyday. It's a long time since i've seen a fishmonger though. Now it's mostly packets of frozen fish that i keep in the freezer; or tins for sandwiches; and from the chiller i get kippers regularly.

Fire_Fox

Whole mackerel and trout are reasonably priced, say £5 a kilo and £6 a kilo respectively: mackerel are rich and oily more like sardines, trout is still classed as an oily fish but is delicate like salmon.

In my limited experience .... a lot of whole fish come de-scaled and gutted anyway, I guess they know many don't really have those skills any more. Fishmongers (supermarket and high street) usually ask if you want anything doing, I say I intend to cook it whole can you get it ready? So they gut if not already done, head and tail off, that doesn't normally cost extra. Then I steam or bake whole (shove something inside the cavity: lemon and herbs, finely chopped onion, veg bouillon powder), remove the skin and bones when it's done: much easier than filleting which would drive me insane!

MysteryMe

I'm not too far from the coast so have a couple of fishmongers in town as well as supermarket fish counters. All should gut head tail and descale for free, it's a basic service. You are paying for the whole fish before it's deheaded so they are lot losing out. My local Waitrose has a very good fish counter.

For novices the fish counters that provide oven bags are a good place to start if venturing into a fishmongers is a bit daunting. At Waitrose they will add herbs and / or knob of butter in with the fish and write down the cooking times for you. Other supermarkets will most probably offer a similar service.

I prefer the oily fish such as mackeral, bream or bass. I'll usually cook it whole as once cooked the flesh is easy enough to remove from the bones. A fresh tuna steak is a lovely meaty fish too. As a special treat I'll have turbot at Christmas instead of a traditional turkey dinner. With all the other food bought over the holiday period it's nice to eat something less heavy.

For tea time at the weekend I'll often have smoked mackeral or a dressed crab with some wholemeal bread and butter and slice of lemon. Delicious.

lindseykim13

Can anyone tell me a bit more about scallops? I had them once when out for dinner and haven't a clue how they are prepared, they were just cooked and served in the shell?
Seems they are in season all year is it those that can be dodgy or is it oysters?