I like to fish, and I like to cook which makes for a great combination always assuming that I can catch something other than sunburn or a cold.
My sons and I go sea fishing regularly and I would like to share some of our successes in both catching and then cooking in this series of articles.
Razor clams are an edible species of shellfish which gets their common name from their resemblance to an old fashioned cut-throat razor.
-
Sea fishing and cooking are my two passions in life. Share my experiences of catching fish around the south coast of the UK and cooking them to share with my friends and family over the dinner table.
-
Many of us have fond memories of visiting the seaside and buying some seafood from a stall. You then douse it in white pepper and vinegar and enjoy the taste of freshly caught and cooked shellfish. You taste prawns, mussels, cockles, winkles and for the brave souls among us whelks.
-
As a rod and line angler, the majority of crabs I catch from the shore are spider crabs. Found in huge numbers just offshore during April to June when they migrate.
-
Rod and line fishing for squid (calamari) and cuttlefish has become popular in the UK over the past few years. Specialised fishing techniques use custom lures known as jigs. These have two circular rows of crown hooks that entangle the tentacles.
-
My featured recipe marinates the fish with lemon, chilli and garlic. The acidic lemon juice partly cures and tenderises the flesh before cooking very quickly over high heat.
-
The herring is an oily silverfish high in omega 3 oil. Grilled, smoked (as kippers) or baked, they are very good for you!
-
Whether you fish with lures or bait, from boat or shore, the sea bass is a prized catch.
-
Whiting, and I’m talking about English whiting here, are seriously underrated as an eating fish.
-
The largest species of eel found in European waters, growing up to three meters in length the Conger is relatively common around British shores living amongst rocks and hiding inside shipwrecks. Rarely taken home for eating, congers usually go back when caught by fishermen.
-
In my opinion, plaice should be cooked simply as it has a subtle sweet taste. The featured recipe from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall brings out this sweetness while adding the caramelised cherry tomatoes.
-
Thornbacks Skate wings as sold in fishmongers or the fish and chip shops in the UK are not actually skate at all but mostly thornback rays. Catch It Thornback rays are members of the wider skate family and are the most abundant ray variety caught in UK waters. Along with undulate, blonde and small-eyed rays,
-
Catch It I have a reputation with my fellow anglers for being somewhat prone to catching the lesser spotted dogfish. Scyliorhinus canicula is a member of the shark family. Don’t confuse dogfish with its big brother the bull huss or nurse shark. The fishing industry uses a clever marketing trick to sell huss in our
-
Catch it and cook it – black bream is the next article where I share my experience of catching and then using a favourite recipe, bring the fish to the table.
-
Freshly caught mackerel is meaty, firm and flavourful, its ‘fishiness’ is decidedly muted when really fresh, and by this, I’m talking on the barbecue within two hours of leaving the sea.
-
After a days fishing, the best bit is yet to come. Cooking and sharing a nice turbot with the family. It will keep happily in the fridge overnight but in my opinion, the fresher the better. Catch it and cook it!
