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in the hot oil. Give it three to four minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet, then turn it over and add a knob of butter to the pan. Now spoon the butter over the fish, infusing it with all that lovely fishy, nutty flavour as it cooks. Another couple of minutes and it should be done. Now slip it onto a plate, squeeze a little lemon juice over it and have a taste. Amazing, isn’t it? So simple, yet so utterly delicious. And ready within five or six minutes. If only more people realised how easy and versatile fish can be, we’d eat a lot more of it, so I hope the recipes in this chapter will give you the confidence to explore the world beyond the fish finger.

    BUYING
    As I mentioned, there is rightly much concern about sustainability. Overfishing has depleted a lot of stocks worldwide, with new species, from tuna to anchovy, being added to the danger list all the time. There are frequent campaigns to encourage us to eat less popular fish – pollack instead of cod, for example, or dab instead of plaice – and while it’s important to get these messages out, I don’t think the occasional fish-eater should feel too guilty. Provided that the fish you are buying is certified by the Marine Stewardship Council, which works to ensure sustainability, you can eat fish with a clear conscience.
    Broadly speaking, fish can be divided according to six categories: freshwater or saltwater, flat or round, white or oily. All have their own distinct flavours and textures that suggest how they should be cooked, but they are often interchangeable. A recipe that calls for mackerel, for example, might work equally well with herring because they are both oily saltwater fish; similarly, brill will work in the place of turbot. So don’t be put off if your fishmonger doesn’t have exactly what you are after. He is sure to be able to suggest an alternative.

    I always like to buy my fish whole because it gives you more clues about its freshness, and that is very important when buying. Some fish, such as mackerel, will deteriorate very quickly, and can take on a muddy flavour. Look for bright, glossy eyes, fresh red gills and firm flesh with a shiny, but not slimy, sheen. Contrary to popular belief, fish should not smell ‘fishy’ but just faintly briny. Steer clear of anything tired-looking, especially with sunken or cloudy eyes or dry, soft skin that doesn’t bounce back when you prod it with a finger.
    Don’t be put off if you see that fish has been previously frozen. It may well be ‘fresher’ than the fresh fish. Deep-sea fishing boats are often out for weeks at a time, and better that it is frozen on board rather than merely kept on ice. Of course, this should never be the case with fish caught by day boats around our shores.
    In an ideal world, we’d all buy our fish from the local fishmonger, who can tell us what has just come in, but sadly they are disappearing faster than independent butchers. If buying from the supermarket, it is often better to buy pre-packaged fillets that sit in a plastic tray rather than from the fish counter, as pre-packed fish is flushed with inert gas to preserve it better. There seems to be a fashion now to shrink-wrap fillets, which I think is the worst way to buy fish as it marinates in its own juices and the flesh quickly becomes waterlogged and mushy. As a country, we are blessed with some of the best seafood in the world. Crabs, lobsters, mussels, oysters and scallops all thrive in our cold waters, producing sweet, juicy flesh. Lobsters are prohibitively expensive these days, though I often prefer the flavour of crab anyway, which can be really good value, although the meat doesn’t come out as easily as lobster meat does. For ease, you can buy them ready dressed, i.e. cracked open, the flesh removed and picked over, then repacked into the empty shell. With a bit of practice, they are easy to dress yourself too. When buying a whole crab, look for one that feels heavy for its size.
    Mussels