Fish & Shellfish [antikvár]

Introduction Fish and shellfish have always been great favourites of mine. From prawns eaten on summer holidays many years ago in Cornwall, to canned tuna fish and fresh mussels - staples through student days in Brighton - to fresh oysters devoured during recent holidays in France. In my home town of Dundee, Scodand, I have always been fortunate enough to enjoy the freshest and best cod, haddock, salmon and sea trout. From a nutritional point of view, fish is excellent It's low in unsaturated fat, full of protein and contains calcium, iron and vitamin B. The most important consideration when choosing and buying fish and shellfish is freshness. The natural colours of the fish should be as vibrant as when it left the water, the eyes bright and the gills a vivid red. The fish should feel stiff to the touch and smell like a whiff of sea air, with a slight hint of iodine. If it passes the test, your chosen variety is fresh and ready to cook. Ideally fish should be cooked on the day you purchase it, but it can be stored, well wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Preparing fish is relatively easy, especially if you use the illustrated step-by-step guide to basic preparation methods on the following pages. All that is required is a little patience and practice. However, if you are not keen, a good fishmonger should be willing to carry out most of these tasks for you. Remember to ask for the heads, bones and trimmings to make into stock, either for immediate use In the recipe, or to freeze for the future. When buying shellfish, look for those with tightly closed shells. Scallops, mussels, clams and oysters are still alive when sold fresh and any sign of an open shell may indicate that the specimen is far from fresh. Sometimes a sharp tap on the shell may persuade the shellfish to close up, telling you that he's alive and kicking, but if not, you should certainly avoid it! When buying cooked shellfish, such as lobster, crab and prawns, make sure the shells are Intact They should feel quite heavy, and again have an agreeable smell. Fish is relatively quick to cook -whichever method you use. A fish steak or fillet pan-fried or grilled with a little butter, lemon juice and seasoning is ideal 'fast food', but without the 'junk food' connotation. Grilling and pan-frying are also good for small fish, such as sardines, herring and red mullet all of which just need the merest lick of oil or butter. Cooking fish on a griddle pan - a flat cast-iron pan with ridges - is another excellent quick method. It's best applied to firmer fish, such as monkfish, tuna, scallops, squid and whole prawns, which will hold together over the high heat This method produces attractive crisscross markings on the fish. Deep-frying is suited to small fish, such as whitebait and baby squid, which can be cooked whole. Cudets and fillets can be deep-fried too. Normally the fish is first coated in breadcrumbs, seasoned flour or batter, which forms a crisp, protective coating against the hot fat keeping the fish inside moist Poaching is perfect for larger whole fish such as salmon, salmon trout and sea bass. The fish is gently simmered in a court bouillon or broth, then left to cool in the liquid, ensuring tender, moist flesh. Cudets and fillets can also be poached. Cooking fish 'en papillote', in a sealed parcel of paper or foil, is perfect for small whole fish, cudets and fillets. The fish is cooked in its own steam with herbs, spices, a flavoured butter or citrus juice added, to impart flavour and create a wonderful aroma when the parcel is opened. This is a good one to impress dinner party guests! Steaming is a simple and healthy way of cooking fish, suitable for whole fish, steaks and fillets. Braising - on a bed of vegetables in a sealed pan - is another good method, especially suited to firm, meaty fish, such as monkfish or tuna. Fish fillets and steaks of uniform thickness also cook successfully in the microwave. The variety of fish and shellfish available to us now is quite astounding - from exotic shark steaks and parrot fish to our own salmon, haddock and cod. I hope this book will inspire you to take a fresh look at fish, and tempt you to include it in your diet on a frequent and regular basis. After all, few things could be better for you!