Skate, just for the hell of it
Skate are gentle fish, put on earth to scare the daylights out of scuba divers. They are almost all wing and seem to fly through the water, casting dark shadows on all beneath them. Imagine you are drifting serenely a few metres beneath the surface and suddenly all goes black. You would have to think [...]
Self-saucing fish
You can get a similar result all in one go by cooking the fish on top of a mix of aromatic vegetables and olive oil, and covering the lot with foil. The fish cooks in the steam coming from the vegetables. At the end of it, you are left with a moist fish and a [...]
Steamed fish with lots of colour
The best way to present fish is simply. Makes sense. Cook it simply, and serve it with something moist and colourful and delicious on its own — without intruding on the subtle flavour of the fish. This is the cooking of the restaurants of the eighties. Gentle flavours, served with colour, all put together simply.
Fish [...]
Yabbies with a touch of coconut
Yabbies are about the only swimmer I have any luck with on a consistent basis. Get some smelly meat, tie it to a piece of string, toss it in the water, tie the string to your big toe, relax into one of those chairs with no legs and a solid back, and you’re in heaven. If you fall asleep, there’s a good chance the biggest yabby will knock off the meat, crawl up the string, and have a go at your big toe.
A Thai-influenced crayfish soup
There is nothing so rich in flavour as the stock made from a late and lamented crab or crayfish. It is so powerful it is not recommended for households that contain pregnant ladies. My wife, when heavy with child, once threatened to pour the boiling stock over my head. I’m still not sure whether it was [...]
Crayfish basted with basil butter
Crayfish and champagne have a lot in common. They cost too much and their joys have as much to do with the anticipation as the taking. I have always believed champagne tastes better in the mind than on the tongue.
It’s a most clever marketing wheeze. If champagne was flat and cheap nobody would have heard [...]
Crossed cultures and making stock
The bream looked terrific.
Bright of eye, red of gill, J.L something like a dasher at a fancy party. Down the back of the shop were the real workers, the cleaners of fish.
About the cleaners stood a rather excited bunch watching the last rites of a huge carp, not dead long, but dead all the same. [...]
Crab, for fun and flavour
You cannot be considered areally, truly, serious, fun- loving cook until you have attempted to cook a giant crab. They are so intimidating, so large, so handsome, so admirable and so wonderful to eat, so satisfying and such a joy to cook successfully.
Sardines, fried very simply, with lemon juice
If there are only a few of you, and not so many sardines, they are delicious pan-fried.
Sardines in the pan
1kg sardines, fresh as fresh
250g tin of peeled tomatoes, with no added sugar or salt — If it’s deep summer, use fresh Romas.
salt
few sprigs of rosemary 1-2 chillies, sliced finely black pepper
1
Clean the sardines by wiping away any scales under running water. Break off the head, and run your fingers down the guts, until there ain’t [...]