Look for vibrant colours and bright eyes
1. Mackerel
When buying mackerel, look for bright, vibrant colours: petrol greens, shades of purple and bright silver should hit you straight away. After a day or so, the bright colours are lost and only shades of black or grey remain. As an oily fish, the mackerel is recognised as beneficial for our diets.
Try my Mackerel with Salsa Verde.
2. Haddock
Haddock has a smaller flake than cod and is considered a little sweeter in flavour. Smoked haddock is normally grilled or poached. Look for haddock that’s been naturally smoked, not dyed; it will taste better.
Try my variation of Leek and Potato Soup with Smoked Haddock.
3. Plaice
Plaice are pretty to look at. Their spots should be as vibrant and bright as the colours you find in a surf shop. During August and September you get the most magnificent plaice. When they’re big, the flesh is even more moist and creamier than smaller fish. I don’t think plaice can be likened to anything else.
My Posh Plaice Fish Fingers are great for the kids.
4. Sea bream
The sea bream most commonly found at your fishmonger’s will be the daurade, otherwise known as the gilthead sea bream. It will be silver in colour with a dark nose and a gold stripe across it. Nearly all of them will have been farmed in France or Greece, and are perfectly acceptable, as are black or red bream.
You'll love this Sea Bream with Caramelised Oranges and Coriander recipe.
5. Salmon
Most of the salmon on sale nowadays is farmed salmon. Wild salmon, with its deep, red flesh, comes into season between March and September, but it is both rare and very expensive. When buying a whole salmon, choose one with a silvery belly, clear, well-rounded eyes, good firm flesh and bright red gills and sniff it to check that it smells fresh and briny, rather than fishy. As an oily fish, high in Omega 3, salmon is considered beneficial to our diets.
My simple recipe for Salmon Fillet with Ketchup Vinaigrette makes a great easy meal. During the summer try my Crispy Salmon with Buttered New Potatoes and Tartare Sauce – delightful.
6. Tuna
Usually sold as steaks or loins, tuna is easily recognised by its distinctive red flesh. Look for firm tuna which is a nice bright red colour, rather than dull brown, and not marked or discoloured. As an oily fish, tuna is considered beneficial for our diets. Bluefin tuna is endangered, so look for yellow fin, skipjack or albacore instead.
Try my Grilled Tuna Steaks a la Nicoise – a great summer dish.
7. Cod
Usually sold in fillets or steaks rather than whole, look for cod with vibrant-coloured skin and firm, white flesh. With cod stocks falling, try other white fish such as pollock or whiting.
A tangy Sauce Vierge goes well with cod; try it for yourself with my Pan-fried Cod fillet with Sauce Vierge. For something a little different, why not try my Chinese-style Cod Fillet?
8. Haddock
Haddock has a smaller flake than cod and is considered a little sweeter in flavour. Usually sold in fillet or steak form, look for firm, white flesh. Smoked haddock is a classic British ingredient that I’m very fond of. Look for haddock that’s been naturally smoked, not dyed; it will taste better. It’s easy to recognise ‘natural’ smoked haddock as it is a pale, golden colour, rather than the deep, orange-yellow of dyed haddock. I always use smoked haddock in the mixture of fish in my Simple Fish Pie with Peas, as it adds an extra flavour to the dish.
9. Monkfish
A large, grotesque fish, monkfish is usually sold in tail form, without its head and body. Look for firm flesh and sniff to check that the monkfish smells fresh and briny, rather than fishy.
10. Sardine
As an oily fish, sardines are considered beneficial for our diets. As with all oily fish, you want the freshest you can find. Choose bright-eyed, firm sardines with shiny, silvery skin and bright red gills, which smell fresh rather than fishy.
11. Sea bass
Both farmed and wild sea bass is available, usually sold whole or in fillets. When buying whole sea bass, look for fresh-smelling, bright-eyed fish with a vibrant shine to its skin and bright red gills. Sea bass goes well with Chinese flavourings such as root ginger and soy sauce; I cook it wrapped in foil and steamed until tender.
You’ll be sure to impress with my Chinese-style Sea Bass.
