Monthly Archives: February 2020

Latin Name: Pollachius virens
Commercially Farmed: No
Price Band: Low
Flavour: Mild
Texture: Medium
Cooking Method(s): Bake, Deep fry, Grill, Microwave, Poach, Shallow fry, Steam, Stir fry

This week we have had some fresh MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) Coley (or as it is also known Saithe) delivered by our Norwegian supplier.

The Coley (Saithe) is so highly thought of on the continent that the Norwegian fishermen treat it with the same care as they would cod or haddock. The picture above shows the fish carefully laid in the boxes. The fish are so fresh you can still see the iridescent bloom on the skin of the fish.

Coley (Saithe) is a very underrated fish in the UK. The reason for its lack of popularity may be down to the colour of the flesh. When raw it has a grey look but when cooked it goes a slightly creamy off white colour. Being part of the cod family it has a taste somewhere between Cod and Haddock. It has a mild creamy taste with a good firm texture making it ideal to dust with spices, and it is ideal in curries. Its firm texture also makes it ideal in fish cakes or fish pies. As its price is much less than cod and haddock it makes a great economic alternative and being MSC approved, it is still fully sustainable.

Nutritional information

High in: Protein; Vitamin B12; Iodine; Selenium

Source of: Niacin; Vitamin B6; Potassium; Phosphorus

Ingredients:

• 3 cups frozen seafood cocktail (such as shrimp, clams, squid)
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 bunch scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 eggs
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, or as needed

Dipping Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds

1. Combine seafood cocktail, water, flour, 1 bunch scallions, eggs, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl; mix until batter is thick.
2. Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Pour half the batter evenly into the skillet. Cook until bottom and edges are browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until the opposite side is browned, 7 to 8 minutes more. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter.
3. Combine soy sauce, 1 stalk scallion, rice vinegar, sesame oil, brown sugar, gochugaru, and sesame seeds in a bowl. Serve pancakes with dipping sauce.

Recipe by: mykoreaneats

Latin Name: Dicentrarchus labrax
Commercially Farmed: Yes
Price Band: Medium
Flavour: Medium
Texture: Firm
Cooking Method(s): Bake, Deep fry, Grill, Microwave, Poach, Shallow fry, Steam, Stir fry

Found wild from the Mediterranean to Norway in spring and summer, sea bass can grow up to 7kg. However, a combination of slow growth, late maturity, spawning aggregation, and strong summer site fidelity, plus high value of this species make it vulnerable over-exploitation and localised depletion and so needs to be carefully managed. The main Sea Bass stock around the UK was heavily over-fished but improvements to management in recent years have reduced fishing pressure and it is hoped these are maintained so the stock can recover to healthy levels. There remain issues regarding accurate data collection and compliance with management measures.
Now, thanks to farming in the Mediterranean (Sea Bass grow better in warm water), this highly rated fish is not only considerably more affordable, but available in plentiful supply all year round. The only significant difference is that farmed bass have a slightly higher fat content.

As a responsible company we are only supplying farmed Sea Bass until we feel that the UK Sea Bass population has recovered sufficiently.

Sea bass has a delightful flavour which stands on its own, but also works with stronger flavours, and is particularly popular in Thai cuisine.

Whole fish are ideal for simply gutting, scaling, stuffing with herbs and baking or grilling. Skin-on fillets (two per person from a 400-600g fish, or one from a 800g+ fish) are great for grilling or pan-frying.

Nutritional information

High in: Protein; Thiamin; Vitamin B12; Selenium

Source of: Niacin; Vitamin B6; Potassium; Phosphorus

Seasonality

The sea bass we supply is farmed in the Mediterranean so this makes it readily available through the year.

Lets set the scene, you’ve prepared a romantic candlelit fish dinner to wow your other (possibly better) half on Valentines Day, the atmospheres just right, conversations flowing, the food is perfect, but the wine, the wine just doesn’t seem to be going down as well. But why?

What wine is best to pair with fish? In an effort to find a good drop with your special meal you will often be confronted with snobby and, often, meaningless words such as ‘terroir’, ‘minerality’, ‘mouthfeel’, ‘volatile acidity’ and ‘quaffability.’

As a very general rule, fish is paired with white wine. But some fish pair very well with rosés and lighter reds. 

The most important thing is matching the weight and texture of the wine with the fish. Also, although we’re giving suggestions below for wine based on the type of fish, you can also consider the strength of the sauce you’re using and the accompaniments when deciding how full bodied your wine should be.

There is a lot of overlap with some wines working well with different types of fish and you can experiment to find what works best for you. This is only a rough guide and there are no wrong and rights when it comes to pairing wine with fish. If you like it, it works!

Mild flavoured fish with thin fillets such as sea bass and lemon sole pair well with lighter white wines such as Italian Pinot grigio, Greek whites, Sauvignon blanc from France and French Chardonnay and Champagne.

Medium flavoured fish with thicker fillets and large flakes go well aromatic and full bodied wines like New Zealand Sauvignon blanc, white Rioja, Sémillon and Pinot gris. Most fish fall under this category and include species like trout, ray, cod, hake, haddock, redfish, coley, ling and halibut.

Meatier fish like monkfish, salmon, swordfish and tuna like a meatier wine. They pair well with stronger tasting wines like oaked Chardonnay, dry Lambrusco, vintage Champagne, dry rosé, Italian Chardonnay and white Côtes du Rhône.

Very strongly flavoured fish like mackerel and sardines (very high in umami, the fifth taste) can be paired with Greek red wines, dry Riesling, cava and dry rosé. These wines, along with vintage Champagne also work well with smoked fish such as salmon and trout.

With all that in mind we hope you have a lovely day and your Valentines Day meal helps you sweep your valentine off their feet.

Our fresh fish manager Dave has kindly sent through some great images and information for us to share with you today!

The Haddock we received today was from our usual supplier Norfra, fished in Norway from either Nordland, Troms or Finnmark visible on the map below. The fish we received had an “N” prefix meaning it is from the Nordland area.

This is just a small behind the scenes look at the care taken in the catching, preparing and storing of our fish. The hands on approach of line catching the fish and the way it’s handled on the smaller fishing boats is of utmost importance to the quality of fish that we provide and is one of the big differences between us and the supermarkets who use the much bigger commercial trawlers.