Tuesday 23 October 2012

Spicy Seabass

The European seabass, Dicentrarchus labrax, is primarily an oceanic fish which frequents the shores and estuaries of the UK in the summer months.  Often seen feeding with shoals of Mackerel they provide great sport for sea anglers, especially using lighter tackle.  On a recent fishing trip from Hayling Island I spotted a guy in waders fly-fishing for Bass at the entrance to the Langstone Harbour. What a great way to spend a few hours in the early morning sunshine on a beautiful calm day.

Much of the seabass we eat now is farmed. More than 100,000 tonnes of sea bass were farmed in 2008, compared to the total European wild catch of approximately 7,660 tonnes that year. Provided it is sourced from a well managed farm (check with your fishmonger), it is difficult to taste the difference between farmed and fresh although you will see a difference in price with wild being up to twice the the cost of farmed.  Wild fish vary more in size and tend to be larger. Also the flavour of wild fish is affected by their diet so that can vary depending on their location.

Seabass flesh is white, soft and has a delicate sweetness in flavour.  So, why would you want to upset this delicate balance by cooking a spicy version.  I would agree except that Meghdoots restaurant in Petworth is not your average curry house.  It is a restaurant with skilled chefs who prepare all of their dishes freshly to order. Owners Sanjay and Mili set very high standards and have never failed to impress me on any visit.  The 'special' last friday was Pudeena Machii, fresh seabass blended in a mint and spice marinade and finished in the Tandoor.  The fish retained its fresh moist texture and sweetness but it was combined perfectly with the spices to produce a well balanced dish.  Essentially this is a dry curry so I added a black lentil dal and Palak Chawal (spinach rice).  A great combination which resulted in  a light and very tasty meal.

Tuesday 16 October 2012

Eat Seafood and Live Longer

A seafood rich diet means living longer - SeafoodSource


People in southern Europe who eat what has become known as the Mediterranean diet live longer than their northern European counterparts with a lower incidence of coronary heart disease. Now it has also been shown by a team of Israeli scientists that people who lose weight on a Mediterranean style diet keep the weight off, unlike people who follow other diets. Click here for full article.

By SeafoodSource staff 
15 October, 2012



Monday 8 October 2012

Singapore Chilli Crab at The Seafood Restaurant

I am grateful for this review from Steve Counter who recently enjoyed this dish (and others) at Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant in Padstow.   I remember a demonstration on how to prepare this crab when I attended the  Rick Stein Seafood School several years ago.



'I have to say that choosing a main course at Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant was nearly an
impossible task as I would quite happily eat them all. However after 15 minutes deliberation I plumped for the Singapore Chilli Crab.

Well what to say - if you like working hard for your food then this is a must. When your course 
arrives you must have well over a kilo of what can only be described as gorgeous, full flavoured whole crab with so much white meat, all stir-fried with garlic, ginger, chilli and coriander. Every mouthful was a good as the next, superbly cooked and totally amazing. Wow, wow wow.'  
Steve Counter 6/10/2012

Tuesday 2 October 2012

Oysters at Wright Brothers in Soho

In my enviable task of trying different wines with oysters I found myself in Wright Brothers restaurant near to Carnaby Street in London.  They specialise in oysters and offer a range of native and rock varieties according to season and availability.  We tried two different types of rock oyster.  The Cumbrae oyster, from Scotland, was slightly creamy with a medium mineral finish.  The Speciales de Claires from France were sweeter which, I was informed, results from them spending some of their life in fresh water. In both cases, as a bit of a purist, I only added freshly squeezed lemon juice, so the shallots in red wine vinegar remained untouched. The chosen wine was a 2011 'single vineyard' Hilltop Pinot Grigio from Hungary.  This crisp fresh wine worked very well with the oysters. 

Oysters with Picpoul de Pinet

A popular wine to accompany oysters, as recommended on Twitter by Waitrose, Majestic Wines and Languedoc Wines was Picpoul de Pinet.  I purchased a bottle of 2011 Domaine de Morin - Langaran from the Haslemere Wine Cellar for £9:50. Domaine Morin Langaran sits on a slightly raised flat of land looking out over oyster beds of Bouzigues in the Etang de Thau. The citrus zestiness of this well chilled wine developed fully about 10-15 minutes after opening. A dozen Colchester rock oysters from The Good Fish Shop (Haslemere) were shucked and freshly squeezed lemon juice added.  These No3 oysters had a superb mineral quality and the wine worked very well with them.