‘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
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.
Grilled Tuna Supremes and cut red bell pepper on grill
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
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!
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).
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.
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.
With over 3 decades of experience Bruce is one our Expert Filleters.
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!
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.
Paul and Kevin
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.
The Chapman’s Team
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.
Making Wellingtons
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.
Delicious Salmon Wellingtons
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!
traditional British fish and chips with potato and lemon
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!
Whilst the Government urge us to stay at home as the single most important peace of action that we can all take in order to protect the NHS and save lives. Many of us are wondering what to do with our time; some trying to juggle home working and home schooling and others feeling cut off from family, anxious and uncertain.
The advice is to try and keep a routine, so set an alarm and try and get up at the same time each day, get dressed and keep mealtimes set so that you have a structure to your day. It is really important if you don’t have any underlying health concerns, that you also do some form of exercise each day to keep your physical and mental health in best condition. We’ve got our thinking caps on here at Regal and have pulled together our top 10 ideas of ‘Things to do when in isolation’.
Take a look at our suggestions, try some out and let us know
what you and your family are doing to get through the lockdown…
Cook up a storm
Most of you will have more time on your hands, and so now is a great opportunity to get in the kitchen and create a culinary masterpiece! Make a list of what you have in the freezer and look on BBC Good Food to see what you can make from what you have.
Check out the recipe library section on our website for a selection of seafood recipes which are sure to tantalise your taste buds. Our delivery service is still in action so place your order online and receive your fresh and frozen seafood direct to your door. Our drivers are currently making contactless deliveries where possible so you can have your order left in your porch ready to collect.
Why not start your own cookery blog and document everything you cook? We love to see what you all create, so share it with us via social media. Take a photograph and write up your recipe to share with the Regal family!
Whilst the guidelines state one walk a day, it doesn’t mean you have to stop there. Why not take this opportunity to improve your fitness? Go at your own pace and follow your doctor’s advice if you have any health issues, but there is a world of home exercise resources at your fingertips.
Check out the internet for online classes or your planner for tv programmes that will give you a good workout, try your hand at line or ballroom dancing, yoga or even chair exercises for those who have mobility issues. Joe Wicks is running a daily exercise routine each weekday which is aimed at kids, but all of the family can get involved and kickstart their day with a cardio blast. Or why not open the back door and have your own step class?
Pop the radio on or your favourite CD and soak up a little bit of sunshine whilst getting the heartrate up. This will do wonders for your all round wellbeing!
Plan for the future
Remember this is temporary and life will hopefully start to
get back to normal soon. Take the time to build mental strength and whilst you
might not be able to put an exact date on it, plan what you would like to do
once normality resumes.
A good exercise would be to write down the everyday things that you would like to do now, normal things like visiting a friend or sitting in the library. Each time one passes your mind, write it on a note and fill a jar. Imagine how much joy these simple things will bring in only a matter of time!
Start a pinterest board and decorate your home virtually!
This is great fun and doesn’t cost anything, but keeps your imagination going
with exciting things. Create a savings plan so once the current situation subsides
you can work out how you can make your pinterest board a reality.
Read a book
How many times have you said to yourself ‘I really should
read more?’ Well now is the time! Download that autobiography, drag that
history book out of your cupboard or take advantage of Audible and sit back,
relax and get lost in a book. It’s great for your mood and you might learn
something you never knew!
For more inspiration look online or check out Amazon, we found this great list, all of which have a positive approach and may be just what you need right now.
Pick up an old hobby
If you’ve recently let your garden go but have in years gone by enjoyed gardening, it’s the perfect time of year now that the weather is starting to improve. Make the most of the Spring sunshine and give your garden a bit of TLC. Soak up some sunshine (and vitamin D) and once you’re finished sit in your garden and enjoy the fruits of your labour.
Perhaps you like to draw but haven’t had time in recent years, now is the time to pick up the pencil and start sketching. Look at the RHS website for inspiration or google ‘stunning landscapes’ – you don’t need to be an expert, there are lots of drawing tutorials on YouTube, so give it a try, you might enjoy it more than you expect.
Singing, dancing, origami, knitting, DIY, sewing, crafting… the list is endless. Whatever your hobby is, it’s a great opportunity to get back into it, and if you don’t know where to start why not download a book or visit YouTube for help getting started.
Listen to a podcast
Whatever your subject, there’s a podcast for you – whether you’re music mad, tech crazy or into comedy. Take a look online, you’ll find thousands to choose from and you can stream from your mobile phone so you can listen anywhere the BBC is a good place to start but a google search will bring you whatever you are looking for.
Boost your brain
As well as obviously eating seafood to boost your brain
power, there are lots of other things you can do during isolation to keep the
grey matter in top condition. Learn a language, download an app with brain
games or try an online course.
Board games with the family are a great way to keep your
mind active and also inject a bit of fun to your day. Classics like Bingo, Scrabble
and Monopoly are great for all of the family!
Keep in touch
Whilst you can’t pop round and see your friends or meet with family, you can still stay in touch! Call regularly, and if you have a laptop or mobile phone, you can use online apps such as FaceTime and Skype. If you are a complete novice, we found an interesting article which might help you to get set up.
Online social communication is great because you still have
face to face contact, and you can even stay in touch while carrying out day to
day tasks. Call a friend whilst you’re cleaning the kitchen, chat to your
grandkids whilst baking or why not set up a board game and play it over Skype
with your family and friends!
Social media isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it is a good way to keep in touch and feel like you are still part of the community. There’s nothing like a good Facebook rant to get something off your chest, but try and keep it positive and offer encouragement. We love the_happy_broadcast on Instagram, as they aim to fill your news feed with anxiety free and positive news, which is much needed at the moment.
Remember to limit your usage to an hour or so a day, it’s
very easy to get transfixed with scrolling down your news feed, but take a
break and allocate your time wisely.
Meditate and make
time for yourself
Take an hour a day to think of your wellbeing, a bit of ‘me’
time is important and easily overlooked. Run a relaxing bath, pop on some
calming music and light some candles. Just make a space so that you are truly
looking after yourself and try to unwind.
We love the ‘Calm’ app, but there are lots of other similar ones which help you concentrate on your breathing techniques and take a few moments to meditate.
Start a scrapbook
Hopefully the current events will soon be a distant memory
and one that we don’t see again.
Make a diary or a scrapbook to pass down and tell your great
grandchildren about one day.
To take a positive from a terrible situation, this does make
you realise just how lucky we are in everyday life and how unimportant material
things are. Once things hopefully get back to normal, we will appreciate the
small things and hopefully it will bring communities closer together.
