Barbecue Brill

Some people may not consider large flatfish for the barbecue but with a little care and attention they offer a stunning presentation visually and the highest quality in fish cuisine.  I purchased, from The Good Fish Shop,  2 medium sized Brill ( 600g each) as a meal for 2 people (i.e. 1 each).  Make a few diagonal cuts in the top of each fish and press in 1/2 slice of fresh lemon.  Season with black pepper and drizzle some olive oil on top.  Finally sprinkle some Fennel leaves (the frilly bit) on the top.  Slice one large Fennel bulb longways into discs and place on the preheated barbecue griddle and lay the Brill on top.  The Fennel prevents the Brill from sticking to the barbecue and imparts a wonderful subtle aniseed flavour to the fish.  Place an upturned baking tray on top to contain the heat thereby cooking both sides of the fish at once.  As you do not need to turn the fish over it keeps together and looks stunning on the plate.  I barbecued these Brill in about 20 minutes and they were cooked to perfection with moist, almost translucent flakes of flavoursome fish.


According to the Marine Conservation Society, fisheries for Brill (Scophthalmus rhombus) are poorly managed. Due to lack of data there is no assessment of populations or stock. Choose Brill caught by demersal otter trawl, or static nets rather than beam trawled fish. 

Battered Gurnard and Chips

Battered Gurnard and Chips

Friday fish and chip lunch using Gurnard instead of Cod or Haddock. I battered the skinned fish fillets using a light tempura style batter and deep fried it in vegetable oil. Combined with chunky chips and tomato ketchup, what a tasty lunch ! I bought two Gurnard whole from the Good Fish Shop in Haslemere where John, the fishmonger, filleted and skinned them for me. There is a lot of waste with Gurnard but the fillets are meaty and firm and these 2 fish cost £5 which is pretty good value. Gurnard (Aspitrigla cuculus ) is a highly sustainable choice being a fast growing species which matures early to a good size.  It is rated 2 (good choice) by the Marine Conservation Society on their Fish Online website.

Seared Yellowfin Tuna with Parmentier Potatoes

This is the most succulent steak ever which I cooked at home last night.  I bought the Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus albacares) steaks fresh from The Good Fish Shop in Haslemere. It is sushi grade tuna which is the best cut from the loin and has very little sinew (white stringy threads).  Their tuna is caught from small boats using a pole fishing technique which is sustainable and very fresh.  Always check the freshness when you buy tuna like this.  As it ages it produces histamine which gives the fish an unpleasant smell and tastes metallic.  This is undesirable and can be hazardous to people with an allergy.  


To cook the tuna I marinaded it for 1/2 hour in lime juice and olive oil with a bit of freshly ground black pepper and then seared the surface in a hot frying pan for just 1 minute each side. The steak should still be red in the middle.  The 'parmentier' potatoes are cubed with garlic butter and rosemary and were bought ready made from Waitrose. I added a side salad of rocket, watercress and tomato.