Go Fish
A healthy resurgence in British shellfish means there’s more to seafood than cod in white sauce
For some, the thought of eating fresh shellfish is akin to snaffling down a wet cockroach. However, it seems that an increasing number of us – and not just those who trot out cliches such as “It’s brain food” or “no one in the UK is more than 80 miles from the sea and yet…” – are finally giving the fruits of the sea the recognition they deserve as the ultimate epicurian delights. Demand for hand-picked Scottish shellfish has reached an all-time high with cockles selling for £2,000 a ton on the Continent, the busiest restaurant in the UK is a Belgian moules bar and even Kylie has been extolling the virtues of oysters as high protein snacks. (She tucks into them when she slips off stage for costume changes during gigs, apparently.) British seafood is back and there’s never been a better time to try it. Mitchell Tonks, owner of the pioneering FishWorks chain of fishmongers-cum-restaurants and the man poised to take over the role of National Fish Evangelist from Rick Stein, agrees. “Seafood is massive at the moment, there are more restaurants selling it than ever before, the fashion for organic food and healthy eating is driving sales and people are starting to cook fish at home again.”
Back in the days of pearly kings, seafood was a family staple; cockles and whelks were the culinary equivalent of fast food, and oysters were used to beef up the meat pies sold in chip shops. The following generation thought that the mighty cod was the only edible sea-dweller and that boil-in-the-bag was the only way to cook it, but thanks to the current food renaissance (and, admittedly, the smug Rick Stein), odorous fish shops are being replaced with wondrous showrooms of the sea and previously ‘forgotten’ species are becoming ludicrously popular. And this popularity has fuelled the seafood industry’s own success; for as more stock is sold, restaurant and shop fridges have to be restocked more often, which means that the fish is fresher – and the fresher the fish the better it is. Mussels, scallops, crab and langoustines are as hackneyed as sun dried tomatoes in gastro-pubs, and the rare razor clams, sea-urchins and crayfish are the hottest dishes on seafood restaurant menus – of which there are an increasing number. Stein’s inexorable conquest of Padstow continues with four eateries in the town (locals now refer to the place as Padstein), whilst in the Smoke, wallet-punishing restaurants such as Chamberlain’s (Leadenhall Market), Bentley’s (Swallow Street) and Beluga Café (Docklands) are receiving rave reviews.
Most of the shellfish eaten in British restaurants is harvested by our own beleagured sea-dogs, and a key part of our domestic rural economy relies on Scotland’s natural abundance of mussels, scallops and oysters. Out of season we import Zeeland mussels from Belgium, squid and Dublin Bay prawns from the Mediterranean. That said, the seasonality and the impact of the weather on availability is part of the allure of shellfish (and why supermarket fish counters are often poorly stocked). To get the fresh, quirky nuggets of sunken treasure you need to get down to your fishmongers and rummage about a bit. Mitchell Tonks offers some buying tips: “Try to avoid going in to shop with a preconceived idea of what you want. Be flexible and buy the best fish on the counter – in order to get the very best out of your cooking you will need to adopt one golden rule: only buy the freshest produce available.” In most cases (mussels, clams, oysters, lobster, crab) this means taking them home live, or being guided by your nose if not. A clear, fresh, briny smell is what you’re after, whereas a fishy honk is a good sign that you’ll soon be frantically tearing up the newspaper for makeshift toilet roll. If you haven’t a decent local fishmonger, try a company such as Wing of St Mawes (www.cornish-seafood.co.uk) or Fishworks.co.uk, who’ll send produce direct from the quayside to arrive the next day.
Good seafood isn’t cheap, but given the effort taken to bring it to market, you should be prepared to pay and eat accordingly. A common mistake is to justify the expense by marrying it with a suitably complex sauce, whereas good seafood stands on its own. The flavour, texture and colour of most shellfish is delicate and needs to be embraced, not masked. And whilst you’re about it, resist the temptation to do anything with squid ink, it makes any dish look vile. As Neil Perry of the world-famous Sydney restaurant, Rockpool, advocates: “Make sure the flavours are always in harmony: no single flavour should ever be dominant. It can be the most predominant, but should not be at the expense of balance.” Forget what you know about cooking meat, throw out the curry powder and resist the temptation to reduce the sauce down to an intense viscous goo. Armed with some fresh herbs, white wine, olive oil, sea salt and garlic you’re never far from a culinary masterpiece.
END
View as PDF (240Kb)
