More Fish We’ve Been Playing with Recently…

If you read our last blog detailing all the weird and wonderful sea creatures we’ve got our hands on in the last few weeks both in the kitchen and the fishmongers, you’ll know that we’ve been having a whale of a time – and there’s more to reel off too.

Join us as we quickly run you through the best of the rest to give you an idea of what to enjoy on your next visit to our restaurants or even take home to rustle up something special.

Monkfish Tails

With a face only a mother could love, it’s no wonder the head is removed to enjoy the remaining ‘tail’ end of this otherwise beautiful fish.

Keep the bone in and it’ll help keep the fish intact while it cooks as well as imparting extra flavour. Take it out though and you’ll be able to separate the Monkfish into fillets that can then be pan-fried, poached or even deep-fried for a classy take on fish and chips.

We can only apologise if you’ve just Googled what these beasts look like fresh out of the sea, but let us make it up to you by serving it up with chorizo, braised fennel, cabbage and leeks on your next visit to the Old Fishmarket.

Mackerel

Another example of a cracking fish that’s often over-looked by the public, it would seem that we’re put off mackerel because of its richness and oiliness, when in fact those are the very traits that give it character!

Nevertheless, with the right cooking and flavour pairings, we’re sure we can convince the naysayers and shine some light on these underrated beauties. Most commonly baked, barbecued, grilled or pan-fried, mackerel isn’t only able to be cooked in many ways, but there’s a variety of serving options too. This fish is also great in pâté, rillettes, fishcakes and burgers meaning there’s always something new to try.

There’s no denying though that mackerel carries a stronger taste than some other fish, which is why we balance our pan seared fillets with the clean, soft flavours of a mixed leaf salad.

Hake

If you paid us a visit at this year’s Pub in the Park you’ll be familiar with the message we’ve been shouting loud and clear – For Cod Sake, Eat Hake.

Over recent years global warming has prompted cod to move north in search of cooler climes, resulting in few numbers around our shores and a danger of overfishing. By contrast, there’s currently an abundance of hake in Cornish and Scottish waters that’s supported by strong quotas committed to upholding the sustainability of this delightful species.

This succulent white fish isn’t even a weaker alternative either as it’s generally considered superior to cod. Tasting slightly sweeter at a similar price and available all year round, it’s a no brainer to make the switch.

That’s all for now folks, but as the seasons change there’s no doubt we’ll be getting our hands on some more treasures of the sea that we’ll be sure to tell you a story or two about. In the meantime why not decide on what fish you’ll be taking home when you next visit the fishmongers? With all this information you’ll probably be able to give us a lesson or two as well!

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