adventures with fish...

spaghetti_monster

I guess I am what they call an pescatarian - have been veggie since age 15 but for the last few years have been eating fish.... and I have to say I find it a bit intimidating to cook anything other than a filet from the supermarket.

I was working up to trying a trip to the fishmonger but then I always have a dilemma (maybe a typical OS one...) that it all seems quite expensive compared to the supermarket, but people tell me it is better and much better quality. Also that the fishmonger would prepare a fillet for you (wouldn't have the first idea how to do this!)

The other day I was looking for some fish in the supermarket and ended up with what seemed like a bargain - 5 frozen white fish fillets for 3 euros. But when I tried to fry a couple of them (after defrosting), they started to fall apart and didn't taste too good (kind of "woolly" IYKWIM??)
My other issue is that I just moved to Holland and although I know the words for fish, tuna, salmon and cod, other varieties can be a mystery (strange name, look similar). My fillets were pangasius, which is a kind of catfish according to google

So after my fishy ramble....I'd like to ask
Where do you get your fish from??
What do you think of price versus quality???
Do you have favourite fish recipes?
Do you know any good books I could use as a beginners guide??

Thanks!

Alex x

whatatwit

I find that in the UK, we eat very few varieties of fish.....whereas on the continent, they tend to eat all sorts.....I think the Brits are snobs.....my mum would not dream of eating the 'cheaper' ones...calls them catfood.

Frozen fish is often a bit woolly and often tasteless.

Try a fish stall on a market, go on be adventurous.

angelavdavis

Where do you get your fish from?? Like you, I have a variety of sources - Tesco, Lidl, Fishing Sheds in Hastings

What do you think of price versus quality??? I think you can pick up bargains but need to shop around. I can buy (small) Dover Sole from the fishermen in Hastings for a couple of pounds - when the weather is OK, etc. I just grill it on the bone and eat with a squeeze of lemon and some black pepper. I occasionally have picked up smoked haddock, tuna, talapia or salmon fillets which have been fabulous in the reduced section at Tesco and have picked up some great fish in Lidl's frozen section. I have also had similar experiences with frozen fish - I stopped buying from frozen food stores - I think its the result of being frozen for too long.
Do you have favourite fish recipes?

• Fish pie (cod or smoked haddock, prawns, peas, mushrooms, sweetcorn in a white wine sauce with a mash topping),
• Fresh tuna, griddle fried with a squeeze of lemon and some ground pepper with a green salad and baby potatoes.
• Salmon in lemon or white wine sauce, with a green salad and mash.
• Cod goujons, fried in beer batter with HM chunky chips and peas
• Paella (seafood I know - frozen or fresh on special. Tesco do a frozen seafood salad for about £3 which would make 4 paellas for two people).
• Seafood pizza - I try to use fresh or frozen seafood salad - often on special.
• Vongole spaghetti (seafood - I use either tinned or frozen clams)
• Salmon encroute - salmon steak, thick parsley sauce, spinach in flaky pastry outer
• Tinned tuna/salmon or crab fishcakes
• Crab soufflé - great as a starter.
• Poached smoked haddock, melted butter on top with peas and mash potato
• Sardines - marinated in garlic and oil and grilled on BBQ - served with HM rustic bread and green salad.

Do you know any good books I could use as a beginners guide??
To be honest, I don't buy cookery books any more. I would check out www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes which includes recipes from chefs such as Rick Stein. There are about 600 recipes related to cod, salmon, crab, seafood, sole, etc - just enter the ingredients to search for a recipe that fits.

Lord_Lardington

Fish fashion does seem to a be a bit weird in the UK, watching some food progs does lead me to believe that an awful lot of good stuff is caught here and shipped abroad because it won't sell here.

Also, stuff that used to be almost free or treated as rubbish is now considered posh e.g. Oysters (used to be used pad out meat pies, certainly in the North) and Monkfish. It seems that price is not always the best indicator with fish.

I don't know if you've been watching but the recent Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall fish programme offers great advice on what is good at the moment regardless of its popularity.

rygon

For fish recipes use google and bbc.
I have a few indian/thai curry books and they ahve some great recipes (and not all of them are hot or unhealthy).
I try to stay away from cod, and marlin as although great tasting they are getting endangered due to overfishing.

personally i like haddock, plaice, sole, salmon, crab, prawns, fresh tuna

Debt_Free_Chick

I only buy fish from the sheds at Hastings, direct from the fishermen, as it's spanking fresh, having been caught that morning. These are small, traditional fishing boats not massive trawlers, so it's "ecologically" good. I'm keen to support to them especially as none of the supermarkets in the area buy their "fresh fish" from them - I've asked!

I often go to one of the sheds and simply ask "what would you recommend today?".

Filleting fish only needs a little practice - and the patience to put up with some ragged looking fillets whilst you get the hang of it

Probably the best book you can buy - as a guide to different fish, buying, preparation and cooking is Rick Stein's Seafood - a combination of techniques and recipes.

I prepared and cooked turbot for the first time on Friday. Not cheap, but delicious and interestingly, no scales

rhonda_jean

I grow fish in my backyard in an aquaponics system. Aquaponics is like hydroponics but with fish - they provide the organic fertilizer. Currently we have about 80 silver perch and the AP garden is growing heirloom tomatoes, parsley, lettuce and chillies.

spaghetti_monster

Thanks for all your replies, very interesting!
I don't live by the sea, but someone told me about a fishmonger that does really fresh stuff (I guess Holland is so small you're never too far from the sea!)
I do already look on the net for other recipes- so I'll look for fish ones too, Rick Stein etc.

(maybe just wanted an excuse to buy a nice new cookbook!)

Thanks all!

want2bmortgage3

i want to eat more fish but not just things like fish fingers, or cans of tuna. if i went to a fish counter i wouldnt have a clue what to ask for! same with the frozen cabinet i dont know what to buy! any ideas what i can buy thats not as processed as fish fingers, but still quick and easy to cook?

daska

How about a tuna steak? Just fry it gently for 1-2 minutes each side. Can't get much simpler. Serve with a bit of salad and some new potatos, or even as a salad nicoise

McKneff

The staff on the fish counter at our local Morrisons are brilliant, just ask and they will be more than happy to help. They often help me with different recipes even for baisc cod and haddock.

Luckily, most fish takes minutes to cook.