Mackerel (Scomber scombrus) are so much part of traditional Britain that they are used to name a type of cloud pattern - Mackerel sky. They can be caught off beaches and piers, like this one at Cromer. Mackerel popularity goes up and down - once used for bait and now a pretty trendy item, they …
Tag: fish
Chowder
My own ancestral link to chowder would have to be the hard tack eaten by sailors. These days there seems to be a lot of cream in chowder, but I don't think cream would have survived for long out on the Grand Banks. More likely a mush of hard tack and water. I imagine the cod fisherman eating saltfish chowder on the outbound journey and fresh cod chowder on the return ...
Brill!
Scophthalmus rhombus, if you prefer, is a firm fleshed mini turbot. This one was caught somewhere off the South West Peninsula. Most cooks seem to fillet or roast in slices but I have gone for cooking it whole here using a reverse braising method.
Breakout fish and chips
The first food (bar bread) I haven’t cooked myself since January came from Lucy’s Chips on the brilliant market. We sat on a bench with our backs to City Hall, bathed in late afternoon sunlight, gazing at buildings with medieval origins, eating sensational haddock and chips cooked to order from Lucy’s. See more at her Facebook page.
Fish barbecue with Smokey* hot sauce.
Dodging the showers is easier when barbecuing for short periods. The steaks of wild trout shown here (line caught in a West Country river) take no time at all, and there is plenty of room on the grill for peppers and tomatoes (sausages can go on after all these have cooked).
Salad with nasturtiums and Alaskan red salmon
That summer of 1965 we disembarked at Haines on my sister's birthday. Father drove us along the 800 miles of partly surfaced highway to Anchorage, with an overnight stop at Tok. Moving home again. But at least together this time. There wasn't a radio in the car, so we just had to imagine 'Girl Don't …
Continue reading Salad with nasturtiums and Alaskan red salmon
Soup in a cup
One of my favourite cookery books was written in 1963. It's How To Cook Your Catch, by Rube Allyn (and still available today.) I bought it on holiday in Florida a long time ago. I love turning the pages and reading the names - grouper, pompano, grunt, sheepshead, catfish and barracuda. The recipes are fab …
Leftover mullet paella
This recipe evolved from the leftover baked red mullet of a previous extravaganza. To follow the recipe without leftovers, simply start by braising or baking a mullet or similar in oil or butter, fennel slices and a little wine. Ingredients: cooked red mullet, as above. 100g paella or risotto (round grain) rice, several large bulbed …
Heroes 1
When I lived in New York, a Hero was a sandwich - well, a soft roll filled with Italian meat and cheese. Also called a Hoagie, and very much like what we Londoners call a Panino. One could imagine that many people out working this spring in both cities were eating a lot of them. …
Salmon salad tacos
Cook the salmon portion in a pan or under the grill. Once cooked, squeeze over plenty of lime juice and a grind of black pepper. Leave while you make the salad. Put a teaspoonful of oil and vinegar in a largish bowl. Then add the lettuce leaves, endive, spring onions, sliced peppers, coriander/dill leaves, chilli, garlic pepper and salt. Toss them all together.
Cooking for one 