Author Archives: regalfish

Many people ask us, when is a shrimp a prawn? Well when you live in the UK the two are pretty much the same thing! With one or two exceptions. Confusing right? 

In many countries the term ‘Prawn’ is used to describe larger species and ‘Shrimp’ is used to describe the smaller prawn. There is more information here but don’t worry we are on hand to help and advise!

Here at Regal we go to great lengths to ensure our team are highly trained and can advise you on the type of prawn that suits your needs. The last thing you want is to spend good money on a cooked prawn only to ruin it by heating it for too long in a recipe dish. We receive calls from customers who have in the past done just that and it’s put them off, so here is a little bit of information to help you out!

Cooked or Raw?

First of all you need to decide how you wish to use your prawn. If you are looking for a prawn that is ready to defrost and pop straight onto a salad or sandwich then you need a cooked prawn and the smaller prawns are better suited.

If you are wishing to use a prawn in a curry or a recipe dish and it needs to be cooked or have heat added then we advise buying a raw prawn. They don’t take long to cook, usually 4-5 minutes on direct heat like a frying pan or a little longer in a curry or stew so keep an eye on the time and ensure you follow the recipe instructions. Adding prawns right at the beginning when the other ingredients take 20-30 minutes to cook might not be the best idea and you may end up with a tough prawn.

Coldwater vs Warmwater

Coldwater prawns are wild caught, usually cooked and frozen on board the vessel and tend to be the smallest of the prawns on offer, that being said they vary in size from 100 to 250+ per 454g. Wild caught mainly in the North East Atlantic, they are cooked and peeled ready for you to defrost and use. These are widely available and are the most popular here in the UK.

Warmwater prawns are the larger prawns and are usually farmed in Asia or South America and grow much larger. Commonly known as king prawns or Tiger prawns, they are available cooked or raw and are usually used in recipe dishes.

Shell On or Shell Off?

Available in both warm and coldwater, cooked and raw there is usually a shell on or a shell off version. This is down to personal preference. On the coldwater prawns you may like to shell them yourself as the shell retains more of the flavour but most people prefer the ease of just defrosting and adding to a salad or jacket potato.

The same goes with the king prawns. If you are having a curry you might prefer to use a fully peeled prawn so you don’t have to get your hands dirty during eating but paella dishes look great with the full shell prawn and again you can’t beat cooking a raw shell on prawn for the overall flavour. Everything is locked in when it’s frozen and they taste delicious!

Large or Small?

Size doesn’t matter when it comes to prawns, in fact the smaller prawns tend to have a sweeter more favourable taste profile. That being said the larger prawns take on flavours better so a marinade or sauce will match really well and that’s why the larger prawns are the perfect protein for recipe dishes.

Just a note…

It is important to note that prawns when frozen require a good glaze to protect them. They burn in the freezer very easily so this is why larger prawns may have 20-30% glaze and the smaller prawns 8-15% protective glaze.

Don’t worry we aren’t trying to pull the wool over your eyes! We only declare the net weight and so you know exactly what you are paying for once the glaze has melted away. Just be careful when you open the bag that you seal it back up well as domestic freezers are more likely to dry out the prawn and opening and closing will cause the texture to deteriorate.

So now you have an idea of the differences, here’s what we have available in a quick and easy infographic!

Two for the price of one with our favourite flat fish are available fresh again!

Lemon Sole

Latin Name: Microstomus kitt
Flavour: Mild
Texture: Soft
Omega-3 Level: Low
Cooking Method(s): Bake, Grill, Poach, Steam

‘Lemons’ have an oval body; more rounded than a Dover, with a lighter, yellowy-brown dark side. Ranging in size from 230g to 1kg, these sole have a sweet delicate flesh and are ideal for any sole recipes, working especially well with creamy white wine sauces. A great fish cooked on the bone, fillets are always popular, and are great for rolling around a filling (delice) then steaming or baking. Lemon sole from the UK’s South Coast are generally considered the best however it is also found in the Eastern Atlantic and North Sea.

Available fresh between June and November. Frozen available all year round.

High in: Protein; Vitamin B12; Selenium
Source of: Niacin; Phosphorus

https://www.regalfish.co.uk/recipe/flat-fish/citrus-lemon-sole-skewers/

Plaice

Latin Name: Pleuronectes platessa
Flavour: Medium
Texture: Soft
Omega-3 Level: High
Cooking Method(s): Bake, Deep fry, Grill, Microwave, Poach, Shallow fry, Steam, Stir fry

Plaice is best when eaten as fresh as possible, as the flavour quickly fades. Ranging from 230g to 2kg in size, whole fish is easily identified by its distinctive orange spots, the brighter the spots, the fresher the plaice. It has as pronounced a flavour as lemon sole, but it takes sauces and other flavours very well, and is great for battering.

Available fresh from June to December. Frozen available all year round.

High in: Protein; Thiamin; Vitamin B12; Biotin; Selenium
Source of: Niacin; Vitamin B6; Phosphorus; Iodine

https://www.regalfish.co.uk/recipe/flat-fish/lemony-fish-fillets/

Information courtesy of fishisthedish.co.uk

Great Fish to Use on the Grill!

1. Swordfish
Swordfish is a fantastic fish for grilling! It’s a mild-tasting, firm, meaty fish that holds up great on the grill. You can buy our Swordfish Supreme to cook whole or cut it up and skewer it.

2. Salmon
Whether you cook it as a steak or a fillet, salmon can withstand the heat of the grill, keeping its distinct flavour and staying together. Also consider grilling salmon on cedar planks for an added flavour twist.

3. Tuna
Tuna is like the steak of the seafood world. It’s so versatile! Tuna steak is thick and hearty, with a distinct flavour. Perfect for a summer BBQ !

4. Red Snapper
Perfect for grilling and the BBQ, this sought after fish boasts a firm texture and sweet flavour!

5. Mackerel
This is a ‘good for you’ fish with high levels of Omega 3 fatty acids and an excellent source of selenium (an essential mineral) and Vitamin B12. The flavour is rich with a moist texture and is excellent grilled.

Tips for Great BBQ Fish!

When fish cooks on a grill, it loses moisture fast — faster than most meats. And over an open grill, the juice drips straight onto sizzling coals. To preserve moisture, coat the fish with oil, which will seal some of the moisture inside. And follow these steps:

• Designate a cool area on the grill. Pile hot coals on just one side of the grill.
• Start with clean grill grates.
• Use tongs to rub the grate with a cloth or paper towel coated with vegetable oil.
• For firm fleshed fish like salmon, halibut, and tuna steaks: brush the fish with vegetable oil and season with salt.
• Most fish can grill directly on the grate, at high heat.
• Flip as soon as the fish is cooked at least ½ way through.
• For every 1-inch of thickness, expect about 10 minutes of cooking time (over medium-hot coals).
• Wrap thin fillets or delicate fish in corn-husks, banana leaves, grape leaves, or aluminium foil — or place the fish on top of the foil. Place parchment paper between fish and foil to help prevent sticking.
  Courtesy of allrecipe.com

Great Marinades For Your Fish

Our brains are mostly derived from food. Over the last 50 years we have seen dramatic alterations to what we eat, how food is processed and refined, food additives, the use of pesticides and even an alteration intensive farming has had on animal fats. These changes to our diets over recent years mean that the nutritional content we consume daily is very different to even our closest ancestors.

The essential fatty acids Omega-3 and Omega-6 make up 20% of the fat in our brains, the term “essential” is used to describe these as they cannot be made within the body, so must be consumed within our diets. These fatty acids each perform vital functions in the way brain cells are structured, making sure communication with the brain is a s smooth as possible.

Experts suggest that most people consuming “western diets” are consuming more Omega-6 than Omega-3. With both fatty acids being found in equal amounts in the brain, it is implicated that consuming unequal amounts of Omega-3 and Omega-6 can be a part of metal health issues, including depression, and concentration and memory problems.

Eating Fish for Depression

Depression is a common mental condition.
It’s characterised by low mood, sadness, lethargy, and loss of interest in life and activities.
Although it isn’t discussed nearly as much as heart disease or obesity, depression is currently one of the world’s biggest health problems.
According to healthline.com Studies have found that regular fish eaters are less likely to become depressed. A number of trials have also shown that Omega-3 may fight depression and increase the effectiveness of antidepressant medication. Fish and Omega-3 may also help combat other mental conditions such as bipolar disorder!

Fish and Brain Health

Brain function often declines with ageing. Whilst this is normal, their are also serious neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimers exist.
Observational studies have shown that eating fish can slow mental decline. Studies also show that people who eat fish weekly have more grey matter (the brains main major functional tissue) in the parts of the brain that control emotion and memory!

National Opinion Poll Findings (courtesy of www.mentalhealth.org.uk/ ):

• Women report eating healthy foods, including fresh vegetables, fruit or fruit juice and meals made from scratch, more often than men, who tend to eat more takeaways and ready meals.
• Younger people report eating less healthy foods (fresh fruit and vegetables, organic foods and meals made from scratch) and more unhealthy foods (chips and crisps, chocolate, ready meals and takeaways) than older people.
• 29% of 15-24 year olds report eating a meal made from scratch every day, compared with 50% of those aged over 65.
• Younger people are more likely than older people to report daily mental health problems, as are those in social class DE, those on a lower income, those who are not in paid employment and those who are not married.
• Nearly two thirds of those who do not report daily mental health problems eat fresh fruit or fruit juice every day, compared with less than half of those who do report daily mental health problems.
• This pattern is similar for fresh vegetables and salad. Those who report some level of mental health problem also eat fewer healthy foods (fresh fruit and vegetables, organic foods and meals made from scratch) and more unhealthy foods (chips and crisps, chocolate, ready meals and takeaways).

You can find our Omega-3 rich products here: https://www.regalfish.co.uk/seafood/oil-rich-fish/

And for more reading material on the links between diet and metal health: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/sites/default/files/FeedingMinds_exec_summary.pdf

Ingredients

Skinned and bone cod fillets
1 onion (small diced)
1 celery stick (small diced)
1 carrot (small diced)
2 fat garlic cloves (grated or minced)
1 heaped tablespoon of Ghee or plain vegetable oil
1 tin chopped tomatoes
400g of passata (I used my own home made and frozen last year) but you can use an extra can of chopped tomatoes or shop bought passata.
100g cold block butter (cubed)
Water
Lentils can be red, green, brown or black lentils and yellow split peas.
I used just because I had them: –
100g dried red lentils
50g dried brown lentils
So 150g of dried lentils of any kind will do, soak them in cold water for an hour or two before use.
Or you could use a tin of (drained) green lentils and 50 g of dried red lentils. If you do this you’ll need less water.
Enough Salt, Pepper and flour to dredge the cod in.

Spices:
I used these simply because I had them in:-
1tsp coriander seeds or ½ tsp ground
1tsp cumin seeds or ½ tsp ground
½ tsp fennel seeds or ¼ ground
½ tsp hot curry powder
1tsp grated fresh turmeric
1tsp grated fresh ginger
½ tsp black pepper corns

You can use any or all of the above or substitute/add your favourite spices.

A pinch of powdered ginger and turmeric will replace the fresh turmeric and ginger I used. You can add chilli powder (Himself is a wimp so I didn’t add this but if you like it hot)… ½ tsp or to your taste!

So that all seems like a lot of stuff?

Don’t despair, I promise it is worth it. So collect all the ingredients you can or indeed have together and let’s begin.

Method

Grind/bash any seeds

Heat (medium heat) a heavy bottomed saucepan with a dollop of oil or ghee in the bottom

Add all diced vegetables and sauté until softened but not browned (approx 5 – 10 minutes)

Add spices and stir through.

Then add all the other ingredients including a can of water (use the tomato tin)

Bring to the boil then simmer on a very, very low heat stirring often (as it thickens it can stick) for at least 1 hour (I aim for 1 ½ hours). You may have to top up the water as you go depending on how thirsty your lentils are.

When your lentils have softened completely add salt to taste. Stir in the cubed butter until it melts, this makes the mixture really creamy, taste again and add more salt if needed and serve.

You can also cool the mixture and refrigerate for later use, reheat slowly stirring to prevent it sticking.

I’ve never frozen it but I expect it would freeze well, just defrost slowly when needed.

Make Cod the star of the show!

Fresh, quality fish needs very simple cooking in my opinion. I made a well seasoned flour dredge with plain flour, salt, black and white pepper.

Simply dredge the fish and shake of any excess to lightly coat it and simply fry on a medium heat in plain vegetable oil turning once.

Enjoy!

Quality is paramount to us here at Regal and our aim is to supply our customers with the very best seafood available. Our buyers responsibly source the finest quality seafood each day and only buy what we need to fulfil the sales we have in our system, this fresh approach is what sets us apart.

Each morning Joe our fresh QC apprentice (who also happens to be one of Grimsby Institutes apprentices of the year) brings our fresh fish into the factory and our technical team check each batch thoroughly. The fish is traced to the boat on which it was caught and where in the sea too and all of this information is logged so that we have full traceability.

Every batch of fish is then checked using a QIM system which measures the quality of the fish based on the appearance of the whole fish. Including the gills, eyes and skin using a point based system. A piece is then cooked and tested to ensure the taste profile meets with our expectation.

From there our 2 expert filleters, cut the fish by hand and ensure the fish meets with our high expectations. Filleter Bruce Harper is one of our longest serving staff here and has worked for Regal for 30 years therefore he has a very good eye for quality, any product he is unsure of he flags to the technical team.

Once the fish is checked and filleted it is then handed over to our packers. Again due to the average length of service in our factory we have experienced eyes and they are fundamental in our Quality Control chain, they pull aside or further trim any fillets as they pack.

When packing is complete each day the QC apprentice will take a random sample of each species back to the QC kitchen for tasting to our taste panel. The fish is cooked and tasted to see how they fair on the Torry scale.

Each member of our technical team and taste panel are trained to carry out the Torry Assessment  and can use this information to check how many days the fish has been out of the water and on ice, this allows us to ensure that the catch information and dates match up.

The frozen and ready prepared products are no different, each product is produced in small batches using top quality fish by local producers and regularly compared to ensure our quality is a cut above.

A sample from each batch is taken from stock by frozen coldstore supervisor Barry Ballard, who will carry out several QC checks including weight and count checks, core percentage checks and organoleptic (smell and taste) assessment. He works alongside our frozen purchasing manager and our suppliers to ensure our very high standards are met.

We are third party accredited by SALSA, which is a standard written by experienced food safety experts. Their team provide us with expert advice and guidelines so that we can ensure that we are fully compliant.

The annual audit requires us to demonstrate that we operate to the required standard by ensuring the correct HACCP, health and safety and food hygiene standards are practiced and that the supporting evidence and paperwork is in place.

Our technical managers job is to demonstrate that we routinely check and test our products, that we follow the set guidelines and to prove to our auditor that we are able to produce our products safely and legally exceeding the standards expected by enforcement authorities.

We are proud to say that following our audit in March we have again passed for 2020. We are grateful to our QC team led by Technical Manager Richard Kirwin who himself has worked in the factory at Regal for over 20 years and has a wealth of experience so we trust we are in very safe hands!

Meet the team –

Seafood has so many wonderful health benefits for the mind and body and it can help to set children up for a lifetime of good health. Providing them with important vitamins and scientists recommend that we should all eat two portions of seafood a week.

As we all know, some kids can go through phases of being picky eaters so now might be the perfect time to encourage them to try new things and help them to learn to love fish! Here’s our tips to get started…

● Start early…
It’s probably no surprise that children who are introduced to seafood at an early age are more likely to enjoy fish and eat it regularly. Fish can be introduced as early as 6 months when the baby is weaned. Visit www.nhs.uk for more information and the best types to try.

● Start Simple…
If your child is older and never tried fish, no worries. Just start simple and don’t pressure them. Look for small portions of mild flavoured fish and cook very simply, adding minimal flavours. See how much your child enjoys fish in its purest form, especially if you point out the health benefits. You may be surprised!

● Fish Twist…
Try and substitute the usual meat protein for fish where you can.
Taco Tuesday and Fajita Friday can just as easily include fish and prawns rather than meat. For children who require a bit more encouragement, introduce either marinated or breaded and battered products. Make it exciting, a dip sometimes does the trick.

● Get Hands On…
Children tend to engage more and enjoy something that they have helped to create. Take a look at the fish pizza recipe in our brochure or viit the website and browse our child friendly seafood recipes. You could even get your child to help you make a fish pie for the whole family!

● Be consistent…
Try and encourage seafood twice a week so that it becomes ‘the norm’. The more familiar something is, the more likely your child will eat it. Just because your child doesn’t like Salmon doesn’t mean they wont like Haddock or prawns. All seafood is good in whatever form so if they like just one type then that’s perfectly fine.

Keep your eyes peeled, we will have lots of wonderful offers, inspiration and recipes on our instagram and facebook pages this week to help you. Including arguably our best offer ever… kids eat free!

If you have some tips on encouraging fussy eaters to give something a try we would love to hear about it, please share your experiences with us!

Here at Regal we are proud of our Grimsby heritage and whilst we bring together some of the worlds superior seafood products and the best of British, we believe that Grimsby produces some of the finest products that we have to offer.

Chapmans of Grimsby have been our chosen supplier for finest quality, artisan products for almost 20 years and brothers Paul and Kevin are masters of their trade and our trusted supplier for many of our handmade products.

Our best selling seafood wellingtons are handcrafted using quality seafood, wrapped in crisp puff pastry and filled with rich and delicious sauces. The absolute upmost care and attention goes into every single product and that’s why we are proud to work with them.

The Chapmans family have been involved in Grimsby seafood for several generations and central to their success story are their late mother Mavis Chapmans closely guarded recipes, she understood the importance of using only the best seafood which her husband Terry would bring home from work.

Their dishes are inspired by their wealth of experience and love for quality seafood and fine ingredients combined with handcrafted methods. These together have earned them a host of awards for their range.

As well as supplying our existing range of wellingtons, breaded and battered portions, they also support us with bespoke solutions. This allows us to take stock from our fresh fish and freeze it prime condition before sending it the short 5 minute journey from our factory to theirs.

They then work the Chapmans magic by turning it into a delicious breaded product or smother it in a delicious sauce and coat with croutons. Some of our favourite products such as the Haddock Bake and Hake Balti have been created by their in house product development.

All of the products supplied by Chapmans have a homemade feel to them and that’s what keeps us and our customers coming back for more!  That and their cheerful personalities, they along with their friendly staff are certainly the nicest and easiest people to deal with.

We have been overwhelmed by their hard work and dedication over the past few weeks, with several products being made for us every day, they have offered us huge support during the difficult situation and ensured that our supply hasn’t been interrupted so a huge thank you from all of the team at Regal.

Chapmans Seafoods are certainly a jewel in our crown, here’s to many more years and many more wonderful products to come!

Seafish UK are a family business who have been producing frozen seafood products from their factory in Hull for 40 years and for over 15 years we have been lucky enough to see many of their wonderful products grace our catalogue.

Steam fresh portions with flavoured butters, battered fish portions and luxury fishcakes to name a few as well as seasonal products such as salmon burgers, festive bakes and seed coated fillets. Some of our longer serving customers will remember the Hunters Cod and Cod Margherita Pizza, we have tried and tested all kinds of seafood products and if a new idea comes into mind Seafish are always happy to oblige!

With an in house NPD (new product development) chef and team, Seafish are the perfect place to go with a kitchen recipe or concept and they have the expertise and tools to bring the product to life and to the dining table of our wonderful customers.

As well as our top quality range of fresh fish the Regal catalogue boasts over 100 frozen and ready prepared products.  Our frozen product manager Margaret Money is constantly looking at current trends and inspiration for the next season to ensure consistency and variety to our offering whilst constantly comparing and improving the range.

Seafish source top quality seafood caught from sustainable sources and are able to produce bespoke recipes, so we can have confidence they will produce to the exact specification we require and in small batches.  This means that the product is not sat in the coldstore for long periods of time and also allows us to continuously monitor and improve the products.

Margaret has a long term working relationship with Seafish sales manager Emma Acklam and every couple of months they sit down to discuss the product range. Margaret is involved in NPD tasting sessions, with the very best options being brought back to Regal for discussion at our fortnightly product range meeting.

From there samples will be tested at Regal HQ with and our call centre and office staff give their seal of approval! Production schedules are set fairly quickly with Seafish technical team making sure all the paperwork is in place and the staff at their BRC AA rated factory are ready to produce.

Excellent quality standards and a family background means that Seafish are large enough to handle quick turnarounds in production but they are also small enough to care. This is why they have been a key producer for us for the past 15 years and we hope for many more years to come!

A special thanks to Seafish for ensuring despite the unprecedented times that they and we are open for business as usual and ensuring that we can supply our product range.  

Fish and Chips are still at the heart of our nation and despite the difficult situation at the moment, they remain Britain’s favourite meal so we would like to ask our wonderful customers to help us come together and help our Fishermen at this very difficult time.

In the last few weeks, the Coronavirus has hit our fishermen hard. Markets have collapsed across Europe leading to an abrupt end to fishing in some UK ports. With fishing boats tied up, income has disappeared leading to very tough times for UK fishermen who were already struggling after a harsh winter and terrible storms.

Here at Regal Fish, we are working with the Fishermen’s Mission to extend our support to the fishermen and their families and we need your support!

We want you to host your own ‘fish and chip’ dinner, all you need to do is buy a pack of our delicious Chunky Battered Haddock Portions and enjoy them at home. Simple as that!

For every pack that is purchased during April we will donate £2 to the Fishermens Mission so they can help those in need.

Andy Malcolm, Fundraising Manager for the Fisherman’s Mission was invited to add his comments on our promotion.

‘‘The Fishermen’s Mission is the vital port of call for UK fishermen and their families. Fishing is the most dangerous job of all. Families who have lost loved ones at sea, injured fishermen and retired fishermen battling loneliness and poverty know that the Fishermen’s Mission is there for them.

The Fishermen’s Mission keep our fishermen afloat in times of crisis. We can put food on the table, ensure a roof overhead with heating and lighting and be a trusted friend when anxiety and uncertainty seems to dominate.

Many of our retired fishermen and fishermen’s widows are self-isolating at present. The Fishermen’s Mission ensure they are never forgotten with practical help, food deliveries and most importantly regular telephone calls to ensure all is ok.

Thank you so much for helping keep our fishermen afloat and for supporting the Fishermen’s Mission. Your help means we can always be a lifeline for struggling fishing communities.’’ 

Our Battered Chunky Haddock Portions are now available to sell via our website www.regalfish.co.uk and to entice you further we have placed a triple offer pack on our website for only £25. That’s £2 saving for you and £6 straight to the Fishermen’s mission!