Fabulous Fish

Fish is very versatile and can be cooked and served in a variety of ways. Baked, stuffed, fried, poached, cooked in risottos, soups, and pasta dishes and also cooked on the BBQ.
 
There is a good variety of fish and shellfish available.

Perch are one of the finest flavoured of all panfish. Perch Filets are known for their sweet, mild flavour.

 ~ To name a few more ~

White fish ~ Cod, Haddock, Hallibut, Plaice, Turbot, Hoki, Sea bream, Pollack, Coley.
 

Oily fish ~ Kippers, Salmon, Trout, Tuna, Mackerel, Sardines, Herring, Pilchards.
 
Shellfish ~ Crab, Prawns, Mussels, Scallops.

 
Nothing could be more delicious than fresh fish combined with aromatic flavours and cooked until tender and juicy. Try these herbs and spices with your fish.

CURLY PARSLEY ~ Serve fish with a creamy parsley sauce, you can pretty much use any white fish fillets in this dish. Serve it with mashed tatties and garden peas.

SORREL ~ the leaves have a sharp, lemon flavour.
 

ORANGE-SCENTED THYME ~ combines well with more strong flavoured fish such as mackerel or herring and good for marinades
 

FENNEL ~ has a aniseed flavour and great to place in the caviety of the fish before baking.
 

DILL ~ Crushed dill seeds marry well with almost all fish dishes - add a little to a creamy sauce for a fish pie, or stir some into thick yogurt with a teaspoon of chopped chives, and serve as a sauce with grilled fresh salmon or cod fillet.
 
HORSERADISH ~ serve with strong fish like mackerel, tuna or smoked trout.
For a quick Horseradish sauce,- just whip up grated horseradish with some plain yogurt or crème fraîche, a  little mustard, sugar and seasoning.

  Beer Batter is a great for that special treat of fish and chips. You can use any firm white fish for this recipe.

BEER BATTER
225g Self-raising flour
Pinch of Salt
300ml Beer  

Put the flour and salt into a large bowl. Gradually whisk in the beer a little at a time
to make a smooth batter. Cover and Chill the batter for at least 30 minutes. Dust the fish with a little flour and dip into the batter mix. Fry in hot oil 8-10 mins until golden and crispy.

BAKING FISH
Baking is probably the easiest and most efficient way to cook fish.
Lean, white fish such as cod, haddock or plaice, does not contain as much fat within the flesh as oily types of fish such as salmon, mackeral or trout, therfore its advisable to protect the flesh of lean fish so that it does not dry out during the cooking process. This can be done using a variety of methods.
 
* To stop white fish from drying out, cook covered in a ovenproof dish with some liquid - wine, stock, milk, lemon or lime  juice, or tomatoes.
 
* The flesh can also be protected by either stuffing the fish or by coating it in flour or breadcrumbs before baking.
 
* Alternatively, an excellent way to ensure that your fish does not dry out is to wrap the fish in some foil and bake, this also helps to seal in wonderful aromas and flavours.

Preheat the oven to around  180°C, gas mark 4 and grease the base of a large piece of foil with butter. Take the piece of fish and season it with a little salt & pepper. Place the fish onto the foil, add some herbs of your choice, add a little lemon juice, then fold up the sides of the foil and seal at the top. Pop into the preheated oven and cook for the specified time until the flesh has turned opaque and is just starting to flake.

 
OILY FISH
Everyone should eat at least two portions of fish a week, including one portion of oily fish. So don't ignore oily fish - its good for you!
 
Oily fish is high in protein and rich in vitamins, minerals and natural oils. The omega-3 oils it contains have a huge role to play in brain function and heart health.

Oily fish includes ~ salmon, trout, mackerel, sardines, pilchards, sprats, herring, kipper, anchovies and whitebait. These fish count as oily fish when they're canned, fresh or frozen. Fresh tuna is an oily fish but canned tuna doesn’t count as oily. This is because when it's canned these fats are reduced to levels similar to white fish.

Although there are numerous health benefits to be gained from consuming oily fish, there are limitations on the amount of fish that we should consume per week. Some types of oily fish are prone to absorbing metals and toxins that have been pumped into our rivers and seas. With that in mind, we are advised to eat one portion of oily fish a week. As white fish do not contain such toxins within their flesh, it is possible to eat as much white fish as you like.

  Sardines ~ are surprisingly cheap to buy and make a nutritious supper. Sardines have a silvery-blue skin and a rich, oily flesh. Named after Sardinia where they used to be abundant, the majority of sardines are now found in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Fresh sardines can be grilled or barbecued or they can be stuffed with a variety of flavourings. The smaller sardines are ideal for grilling and have the best flavour, the larger sardines are best for stuffing.

Trout ~ There are a number of different types of trout, including sea trout, rainbow trout and brown trout. Trout fillet can be grilled, fried or baked, lemon or lime juice

Herring ~ a delicately flavoured oily fish with a richly flavoured flesh. Herrings are ideal for grilling or barbecuing due to the oiliness of their flesh. They can be cooked with a variety of ingredients, tangy ingredients such as gooseberries, mustard and lemon juice to help counteract the richness of the flesh.

Mackerel ~ attractive oily fish which have green and black stripes on their backs and silver-coloured undersides, they have a meaty flesh with a distinctive full flavour. Whole mackerel can be grilled, barbecued or stuffed and baked. As with herring, mackerel is also great served with a sharp sauce to complement the rich flesh- try horseradish, gooseberry or mustard.

Kippers ~  Kippers are a traditional English breakfast dish, often served with a poached egg. They may be grilled, baked in foil, fried or jugged - This is the traditional way of serving kippers - and it ensures the whole house does not smell of fish! Cut the heads and tails off the kippers. Put them in a jug and pour boiling water into the jug to fill it, making sure the kippers remain upright. Cover the jug with a plate and leave for about 4 to 5 minutes.

 Salmon ~ has a firm and rich pale pink flesh. A versatile fish that can be served hot or cold. It can be cooked in a variety of ways, including grilling, frying or baking. It combines well with a range of different flavours including spicy seasonings, rich creamy sauces and simple flavourings such as lemon or fresh herbs.