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50 | SEAF ISH | CATERING AND HOSPITALIT Y


FLAT – BUT FULL OF FLAVOUR


Seafi sh’s Andy Gray provides an insight into the various species of fl atfi sh to be enjoyed by UK diners


placed into some very simple groupings, describing where they are found or how they look – for example cold water round fi sh (cod, haddock and hake), or shellfi sh (lobster, crabs and prawns), or warm water exotics (pomfret, mahi mahi and snapper). Another important grouping, especially here in the UK, is that of fl atfi sh – so let us take a look this month at the various species of fl atfi sh caught and consumed in the UK. Many of the waters around the UK are shallow,


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with sandy seabeds (such as found in the North Sea), providing an ideal habitat for a variety of species of fl atfi sh, many caught by and readily available from, our own domestic fi shermen. All fl atfi sh are born round in shape and, as they


mature, the eyes move to either the left or right side of the fi sh, enabling them to see all around when lying on the seabed. Left-eye fi sh are called ‘sinistral’ (species such as turbot, brill and megrim) and right- eye fi sh are referred to as ‘dextral’ (all other commonly found species). Fillets from fl atfi sh do not possess any pin bones


and are relatively easy to prepare and cook. The larger species, such as halibut, turbot and brill, can also provide excellent boneless suprêmes.


Halibut Plaice


The largest member of the fl atfi sh family, Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) are true leviathans of the deep and have been known to grow as large as 300kg and at ain lengths in excess of 4 metres in the waters that they inhabit in the wild. This is a highly esteemed and very tasty fi sh, with creamy-white, fi rm, meaty fl esh. Most people agree the best way to cook halibut is simply poached in a good fi sh stock or white wine, with the cooking liquors used as a base for a


superb sauce (delicate fl avours


work best). Suprêmes are also good for


pan-frying – but take care not to over-cook and dry them out.


hen describing the myriad of fi sh and shellfi sh found in the oceans and seas of the world, such species can often initially be


Turbot


Like halibut, turbot (Pset a maxima) is a highly prized species – often regarded as the best of the fl atfi sh with great fl avour and fi rm, white fl esh. It has an almost circular outline, studded with bony tubercles on its dark side. Colour varies from light to dark brown, spot ed with green or black, and a white blind side. Turbot ranges in size from 400g–10kg. The texture is similar to halibut, but it has a slightly more pronounced ‘fi shy’ taste, so requires lit le to enhance the fl avour. It is also a chef’s dream, retaining plenty of moisture during cooking, which means it doesn’t readily dry out.


Brill


Brill has an excellent fl avour and fi rm, meaty, succulent and slightly sweet fl esh with a yellowish tinge. It has a slightly sweeter taste than turbot and tends to be less expensive to buy. Recipes using turbot can easily be substituted with brill. The fi sh should be scaled before cooking and most methods are suitable for cooking, including baking, grilling, poaching, shallow frying and microwave cooking. The bones and trimmings from brill make an excellent gelatinous stock. A smaller brill is best cooked on the bone, while larger brill can easily be fi lleted or will yield great steaks. As with other fl atfi sh species cook until the fl esh is just opaque and still slightly fi rm to the touch. To enjoy the full fl avour of brill it benefi ts from simple cooking and to be served with some fresh chopped parsley, a knob of but er and a squeeze of lemon juice.


Dover Sole


The ‘king’ of the soles, this superb fi sh (Solea solea) has inspired many classic dishes such as poached sole bonne femme, sole veronique and sole à la meunière. With a dark brown skin and a longer and narrower shaped body than other fl atfi sh, Dover sole has a crisp white fl esh, fi rm to touch, with an almost sweet taste.


Lemon Sole


‘Lemons’ (Microstomus kit ) have an oval body, more rounded than a Dover sole, with a lighter, yellowy- brown dark side. Ranging in size from 230g–1kg, this sole has a sweet, delicate fl esh, ideal for any sole recipes, and works especially well with creamy white wine sauces. As well as being a great fi sh cooked on


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