Cod is a firm white-fleshed fish which is very popular because of its mild flavour. Cod is sold as fillets, cutlets or steaks and sometimes small whole cod is available. Poach or bake fillets and serve with a sauce. Snip the bone out of cod steaks with scissors, then press a stuffing in the spaces and hake. Flaked cooked cod is excellent for fish casseroles and fish cakes. Smoked cod fillet can be used along with fresh cod to add extra flavour to fish pie or fish cakes.
Coley is also known as saithe. The greyish-pink flesh turns white on cooking, expecially if you first rub it with lemon juice. Use coley as an economical substitute for cod.
Haddock: Though more expensive than cod, haddock is worth the price for its fine flavour. Large haddock are cut in fillets and can be cooked, then flaked and used to make a number of fish dishes or it can be topped with a sauce. In Scotland, small fresh haddock are sold boned and opened out and are very tasty when crumbed and fried or baked. Smoked haddock is best bought on the bone because it will have more flavour — it’s worth the extra effort to -remove the bones. Arbroath smokies and Finnan haddock are two of the finest smoked haddocks you can buy.
Halibut: This large member of the flat fish family has firm white flesh and a wonderful flavour. It is expensive but filling so portions can be small. Halibut steaks on the hone are delicious when simply grilled and served with lemon. Cold flaked halibut is especially nice in fish dishes made with mayonnaise.
Herrings are pretty silvery grey fish with oily flesh. They are sold whole or as boned fillets. When grilling whole herrings, slash the sides of the fish right through to the flesh so the fish cooks more quickly; serve with mustard butter. Boned herring fillets are good dipped in oatmeal and fried with bacon. Kippers are smoked gutted herrings. Cook them the fisherman’s way: place kippers in a deep dish or jug. Pour over boiling water to cover and leave for 10 minutes. Drain and serve with a large lump of butter on top — they will be beautifully tender and juicy.
Huss used to be called rock salmon but the Trades Description Act changed all that, probably because the fish bears no resemblance in taste or appearance to salmon. Huss is sold in long skinned fillets and is a firm meaty fish, making it good to use in soups or stews because it doesn’t disintegrate during cooking.
Mackerel has an oily flesh and flavour that goes well with sharp sauces like gooseberry or horseradish. Mackerel must be very fresh to be appreciated. Whole fish are good grilled. Alternatively, have the fish filleted, season with salt and pepper and fry in butter and serve with a good squeeze of lemon juice.
Monkfish is a firm fleshed fish that is usually sold without its head as it’s very ugly. The flesh flakes into chunky pieces and has a flavour similar to lobster. Soak chunks of fish in oil and vinegar dressing and grill them on kebab skewers. Or egg and crumb them, then fry until golden.
Plaice is easily recognized by its orange-spotted skin. A member of the flat fish family, plaice is usually sold in fillets. Take the time to remove the skin from plaice fillets — they will be much nicer to eat. The fish has a mild flavour so squeeze plenty of lemon juice over fried fillets.
Salmon: A luxurious fish with a pretty pink flesh, salmon is prized for its fine flavour. Salmon is seasonal but farm reared fish arc available all year round. Cook salmon whole or in large pieces of at least 1 1/2-2 lbs (700-900g). Serve hot or cold with hollandaise or mayonnaise. Salmon steaks are good when simply grilled and served with lemon. Flaked cooked salmon can he used to turn traditional fish dishes into marvellous party food —try salmon kedgeree or salmon fish cakes. Salmon trout: No relation to salmon, but this fish has a similar pink-coloured flesh and fine flavour. Smaller salmon trout are good grilled. Slash sides of the fish with a sharp knife and cut the flesh so fish cooks more quickly. Whole salmon trout can be wrapped in kitchen foil and baked in the oven. Serve it hot, or cold with a tarragon mayonnaise. Sea bass: This fish has a white flesh that is delicately flavoured and tastes very good served cold with a herb mayonnaise. A whole sea bass makes an impressive part of a buffet. Cook as for fresh salmon.
Skate: The large fins, called wings, are the edible meat of this unusual looking fish. Poach the wings in water with vinegar or lemon juice added to heir tenderize them; they are most easily skinned after they are cooked. Serve skate the classic way wit- black butter; it is also very good servezi cold in salads.
Sole: The firm, plump fillets of sole are go wrapped round stuffing, then poached and served in delicious sauces. Whole fish can be grilled. Ask the fishmonger to remove the skin for you. Lemon sole has a yellow-brown skin and is a little smaller than the famous Dover sole, which has grey-brown skin and the most exquisite flavour. Trout: Best known is the rainbow trout which is farm-reared on an extensive scale. The common river, or brown trout is a game fish and only available in season and locally — well worth looking for. Trout are best cooked whole — first gut the trout, then either grill or fry in butter. Turbot: This very expensive flat fish has a delicious creamy white flesh. Turbot is usually available in summer which makes it popular for serving cold with light sauces. Turbot steaks can be poached and served with hollandaise or flaked and used in salads.
Whitebait: The small silvery fry of the herring family, whitebait are so tiny you cat the whole fish. They arc most popular when deep fried and served with lemon and thinly sliced brown bread and butter. Make sure whitebait are patted dry, then roll about a quarter of the fish at a time in seasoned flour. Deep fry in small batches for 2-3 minutes, then reheat the fat and add all the fried whitebait for one quick fry to crisp them up.