1. Cut through the skin around the back of the head with a small, sharp knife. 2. Using fish pliers, pull away about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of skin from all the way around the head. 3. Hang the eel up by the head, with a meat hook or a piece of string, […]
Articles
Irish Black and White Pudding
My wife’s parents were Irish, mother from Dublin and father from Newry, lived in London, and following regular visits “home” would always return with some genuine Irish black and white pudding in their suitcase.
Catch It and Cook It – Plaice
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.
Catch It and Cook It – Skate
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 […]
Catch It and Cook It – Dogfish
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 […]
Morcilla: The Spanish Black Pudding
Spain’s answer to our black pudding is a mile from the slice you’ll get with your fry-up. It’s a spiced blood sausage, delicate, with a gentle tang. Recipes vary across Spain from the loose, rice-flecked morcilla from Burgos to morcilla de Arroz, the variety made with onion and rice. Morcilla pronounced mor-thee-ya, […]
Sprouts and Christmas, a British Love Affair
Sprouts and Christmas dinner, a great British tradition which divides opinion. Rather like Marmite you either love or hate them. Anyone who has had an overcooked soggy green ball on their plate knows what I mean. Perhaps “I’m a Celebrity” could use them in an eating trial? Modern stir-fry style […]
Pastel de Nata
Pastel de Nata, an egg tart pastry dusted with cinnamon, has become very popular and widely available in the last few years. They go down really well with a cup of coffee.
Coffee Beans From Animal Poo – Why?
Why? That was my first thoughts on discovering that you can buy coffee beans from animal poo!
Edible Snails – Helix Aspersa
All snails in Britain are edible. They’re essentially the same creatures that the French, Spanish and Italians devour by the tonne.