Storing your seafood F Plaice Whiting


To help give you an idea of what else is available, we have compiled a list. This does not represent everything available in our waters, this list would be huge, but is a good starting point.


White fish Flavour/texture Cod


Lean, moist, tender flakes with a mild, fresh flavour. The texture is delicate, best for baking and pan frying.


Haddock Similar texture to cod, but a smaller fish with a sweeter flavour.


This flat sea fish has a mild, sweet flavour.


This is more economical and sustainable than cod. It has light, firm flesh and a sweet, delicate flavour.


Lemon sole


It has delicate, sweet white flesh, perfect for grilling or frying.


Halibut Very mild and sweet tasting, halibut is popular as steaks and fillets. This sweet-tasting, lean fish has fine-grained, dense meat and is flaky and tender, though still firm. It is local to the North Atlantic and is the largest flatfish. Its firm, meaty white flesh has a delicious flavour


Dover sole


Hake It has a firm but delicate


flesh and a meaty texture which is full of flavour. The flesh falls easily from the bone so it is easy to eat.


Hake is quite a mild fish, with a white flaky texture and a flavour that is more subtle than that of cod


John Dory The white, boneless, meaty flesh is firm and flavoursome and can be cooked in a variety of ways.


Monk fish


Red


mullet Red


A firm-textured and meaty white fish.


Once the central bone has been removed there are no other bones to contend with.


It has a fine and delicately flavoured white, textured flesh.


Red snapper is lean and moist, with a


snapper sweet, mild but distinct flavour. It can have a soft or firm texture.


Sea bass This popular fish has a rich, melt-in- the-mouth flavour. The moderately oily meat is tender and moist with large, thick flakes. Great for eating whole.


Sea


bream Turbot


A coarse but succulent flesh that is ideal for grilling, baking and frying.


A good-flavoured firm flesh, on a par with Dover sole.


Whitebait Kipper Trout


Oily/fatty fish Flavour/texture Salmon


Farm salmon is milder than its wild salmon relatives. The meat is moderately firm and oily. Salmon is a versatile fish and suits many types of cooking methods.


Rainbow trout has a flavour and texture similar to salmon but the meat is more delicate and the flakes are smaller. Lovely cooked whole with fresh dill and lemon.


Mackerel


A firm-fleshed, oil-rich fish with a striking silver and blue- striped skin. It is very nutritious, with intense creamy meat packed with omega-3 fatty acids. Perfect for grilling and eaten with a simple salad.


Sardines


Lovely grilled, pickled or from a can, they are slightly salty with a dense flaky texture and full of flavour.


Pilchards


They are part of the same family as sardines, more boney but very similar in taste – great on toast!


Known as a breakfast fish. It has a strong fishy flavour and is perfect pan fried or grilled. Often smoked and served with eggs.


Eel


An oil-rich, meaty and strongly flavoured fish growing more popular after being championed by top London restaurants.


Whitebait are tiny, immature, silvery members of the herring family that are typically deep -fried and served with a dip.


Tuna (fresh) A wonderful meaty fish with a subtle flavour, perfect for grilling.


Anchovies Swordfish


Very fishy and extremely salty, great for adding flavour to dishes such as salads or pizza.


Swordfish is moist and flavoursome with a slightly sweet taste. It has a firm, meaty texture and is rich and juicy.


Everyone knows of at least one horror story about getting ill from eating fish, and this is enough to convince some people to never eat it. But there are a few simple things you can do to prevent food poisoning from seafood. Eat fresh. It sounds obvious, but the fresher the fish the better. Ensure when you are preparing your food that the area is clean and free from contamination from other foods such as meat and dairy produce. Make sure your seafood is cooked properly. You wouldn’t eat raw chicken, so check recipe cooking times and adjust according to the size of your catch. The meat on fish should flake away when cooked.


Raw shellfish can contain harmful


viruses and bacteria that can cause food poisoning. Thorough cooking usually kills this. Throw away any mussels/clams and so on that have their shells already open. The shells should open naturally as part of the cooking process. Oysters are often served raw, which can create a small risk of food poisoning. To keep risks to a minimum, eat fresh oysters only and make sure you get them from a reputable fishmongers or restaurant.


Now we know what they are, where can we get them?


The West Country is awash with places you can buy fresh fish. And the icing on the cake is that it is home to some of the country’s finest seafood chefs, producers and restaurants such as Rick Stein, Mitch Tonks and River Cottage to name but a few.


If you fancy a trip to the coast,


here are some of the main places in the West where fish are brought to shore:


Cornwall Devon


Padstow Plymouth St Ives


Salcombe


Dorset Poole


Lulworth Cove


Falmouth Brixham Weymouth Mevagissey Dartmouth Portland Port Isaac Newlyn


Bridport


Ilfracombe Lyme Regis Exmouth


10 | THE WEST COUNTRY FOODLOVER


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