Dogfish Recipes

Freshly caught dogfish

Skinned dogfish at market

Dogfish is one of those species often referred to as worthless by fisherman, so when my daughter caught one recently I tweeted (@seafoodreview) for recipes.  Fish at 85 Cardiff (@fishat85) offered the fish & chip 'classic' - deep fried in batter and also suggested fish curry. Of course you must skin and then fillet the fish first which is a great way to blunt your knives as dogfish skin is so tough having hundreds of backwards pointing dermodenticles (skin teeth). It is a firm fish which holds together well in curries, stews or bouillabaisse. In my opinion it must be very fresh as the flesh degrades quickly and the flavour becomes too strong. 

Seafood at Cin Cin, Barbados

Cocktail at Cin Cin Barbados

Cin Cin is a very stylish contemporary restaurant based in Prospect on the West Coast of Barbados in St. James district.  We turned up, without a reservation (although I recommend that you book, especially for dinner), at around 2pm and were warmly greeted in the car park by a guy who promptly took our keys to park the car and welcomed us into the foyer.  First impressions were the modern bar, white leather furniture and the stunning view of the ocean through the very large areas of glass.  It was lunchtime and not too busy so we were lucky enough to get a table on the terrace which is down at the water's edge.  Lunchtime dress code is relaxed so we were fine in our shorts and T-shirts.

  After a refreshing cocktail we had the Seared Tuna Nicoise Salad which was a modern take on this classic dish.  All the traditional components were there but they were presented imaginatively with a poached Quail's egg, a bundle of French Beans, baby new potatoes in mayonnaise and perfectly seared fresh Yellowfin Tuna. 


Main course was Kingfish (see note below) with a caper sauce on smooth leek and potato puree and seasonal vegetables. Our food was cooked to perfection and served beautifully so for me, Cin Cin is a 'must-visit' restaurant for anyone in Barbados.

(Kingfish or Wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri) is found worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas and the species as a whole is not considered overfished.  It is much prized by sports fishermen).

Steamed Seabass at Cau Guildford

Argentinian Beef

CAU Restaurants has earned itself a high reputation for steaks being themed on the pampas grass fed Argentinian Beef.  In fact, director Charlie McLean and creative director, Patsy Godik have both worked with, amongst others, Gaucho restaurants. 




However, not so much has been written about the fish options at CAU so here are my experiences from a visit to the Guildford restaurant yesterday.  We were celebrating Mothers Day with some of our (not so young) kids in a party of 5 people.  Our booking (originally for 6) was dealt with very efficiently over the 'phone and when we arrived one person short, the staff were not put out in any way.  

Steamed Seabass

We were served at our table on the mezzanine by Katie who was extremely helpful and friendly.  As one of our party cannot eat oil there was a bit of discussion with the chef via Katie on what we could have.  This was resolved perfectly when Alessi, the Head Chef, came to our table and offered to fillet a fresh Seabass and steam it without oil. A perfect solution which is not always possible in larger chain restaurants where most items are prepared to formula.  The 'normal' Seabass option was baked 'en papillotte' with lemon thyme, cherry tomatoes, fresh orange and curry leaves and was delicious too. 

Seabass 'en papillotte'

Other seafood items which we enjoyed included Salt and Pepper Squid which were dusted in flour and topped with sautéed garlic and chili and accompanied with Chipotle Mayo.  We also shared the Steamed Mussels in a creamy Coconut and Coriander sauce. Extra bread was required to mop up the delicious juices.

Some of us had meat dishes which were excellent but the seafood options are far from second best and combined with the good service and buzzy atmosphere resulted in a really pleasant outing. 

Wilks Restaurant, Bristol

With regard to restaurants and cuisine, the gap between London and the rest of the nation has been highlighted by many critics not least A. A. Gill in the Sunday Times Magazine this week.  There is some truth in it, particularly in terms of choice and availability (so many provincial restaurants close really early) but if you put your mind to it and carry out some internet research there are some real gems out there to enjoy. Just such a place is the recently opened Wilks Restaurant in Bristol.

We were spending a short weekend (i.e. Saturday night) in Bristol so I scanned the internet for restaurants which had some element of seafood in the menu. Wilks was highly rated so I reserved a table for our party of 6.  Most reviewers refer to the fact that Wilks has replaced Culinaria, a previously popular and successful restaurant, but I had no experience of that so I won't be making any comparisons here.

Wilks is located in Chandos Street, which is a quiet backwater in the Redland district.  In fact there is an unusual mix of residential properties, takeaways and budget restaurants in the area so Wilks is somewhat unique here.  No grand entrance or glitz, the restaurant is a comfortable, stylish space with its simple furniture, subtle lighting and welcoming staff.  Service throughout the meal was non-intrusive, efficient and the staff were very well informed about all of the dishes.  I do not crave grandeur but I do like to see quality in the table layout particularly wine glasses, cutlery and linen table napkins.  Wilks had all of that spot-on. 

Between the 6 of us we had a range of courses including pigeon breast, venison and mushroom veloute with black truffle oil (delicious) but I will restrict my descriptions here to some of the exquisite seafood.

Pan fried John Dory

The Pan Fried Fillets of John Dory were cooked perfectly and accompanied with mussels in carrot jus, lemongrass and ginger.  The delicate flavour of the fish was perfectly blended with the aromatics to give a nicely balanced dish. I love to see John Dory on the menu as, along with Turbot and Sole, it is one of my favourites.  It has firm flesh and can be pan-fried, grilled or baked but culinary success lies in not overcooking it.  I wasn't disappointed, the fillets were almost translucent, moist and delicious. The John Dory or St Peters Fish (Zeus faber) is essentially a coastal species which is unregulated so there is no specific information with regard to sustainability.  The general recommendation is to avoid eating immature fish (less than 35cm) during their breeding season (June to August).

Maple cured Salmon Fillet

The Maple Cured Salmon Fillet (left), served with pickled carrots, beetroots and sorrel, was a beautifully crafted starter. Adorned with 'ribbons' of fresh radish it was a delight on the eye and sensational on the tongue.

Sesame crust Cod Fillet

Other dishes we enjoyed that night included...Fillet of Wild Cod (with sesame crust, young leeks, chanterelles, ham jus) and Crab Bisque (with hand rolled crab ravioli).





Overall, Wilks is a must-visit restaurant which offers high quality cuisine, without pretence in a relaxed friendly environment.  Next time I am in Bristol it will be top of my list as I want to try the very reasonably priced tasting menu (5 courses for £40) which includes Fillet of Wild Turbot and Pan-seared Cornish Scallops.  My mouth is watering already.

Native Oysters and Champagne

Native Oysters at Searcys

If there is an 'r' in the month then it's time to be eating Native Oysters (Ostrea edulis) in the U.K.  They can be distinguished from the ubiquitous Pacific or Rock Oyster by virtue of their smoother, rounder shell although the best way to tell the difference is in the taste.  'Natives' have more flavour, in particular a pronounced mineral finish and to the oyster fan they are simply delicious.  When I eat Pacific Oysters I generally only squeeze on lemon juice and leave the shallot vinegar, Tabasco etc. firmly on the table. This is because I do not want to 'drown' the delicate creaminess.  However, the more pronounced flavour of the Native lends itself better to addition of small amounts of shallot vinegar or Tabasco.  Having said that, one squeeze of lemon does give an amazing oyster experience.

We were lucky enough to enjoy Native Oysters from Loch Ryan (Scotland) at the Grand Brasserie operated by Searcy's Champagne Bar at St. Pancras in London. This is Scotland’s only wild fishery, having remained in the possession of the Wallace family since 1701 when the oyster beds were given to them by King William III. The fishery is sustainably and productively managed, providing 95% of Scotland’s native oysters.  The expected harvest is about 300,000 oysters per season.  They harvest the largest 5% of the stock, with the rest being re-laid on the loch bed.  This simple and sustainable method is greatly increasing the stock and providing a stable future for the native oysters.

The perfect wine to accompany our oysters was a bottle of Besserat Brut Champagne. This bold and fresh wine had a fine mousse and developed complexity in the mouth with hints of apricot and tropical notes.  A perfect Champagne to enjoy with food. 

Cooking Game at River Cottage

OK I know this is a review site for seafood, so why am I writing about game ?  Well, a number of reasons but the key ones are ......  (a) seafood and game are often sold together in fishmongers (b) like fish game is generally a healthy food being very low in fat (c) game represents (in the main) wild animals, which is the case for a lot of fish which we eat.

But the main reason is that I have just attended a one day course on the preparation and cooking of game at River Cottage which was so informative and enjoyable that I want to share it with you.

I arrived at River Cottage HQ at 09:30 on a windy Wednesday morning and met up with my 6 fellow students for the day.  They included a gamekeeper, a beater and a trainee chef along with home cooks who wanted to widen their skills and knowledge.  

Following the tractor-drawn trailer ride down the hill we we ushered into a posh marquee which housed both a restaurant area and a teaching kitchen with workstations for about 20 students.  Being a small group of seven we had plenty of space and time for one-to-one instruction.  Although the marquee creaked occasionally in the wind it was warm and comfortable and it was sited to fully appreciate the magnificent views down the valley.

First item on the menu was wild rabbit - a much undervalued food item in the UK but one which is appreciated in other countries.  Rabbit is lean and (pardon the cliche) tastes a bit like chicken with flavour.  Wild rabbits are herbivorous grazers so you couldn't have a better option than a truly free-range wild one.  We learned how to skin the animal and then to prepare the best cuts of meat namely the saddle (or loin) and the thighs. The saddle was cured by coating in salt/sugar, washed, dried and then lightly smoked using oak wood chips.  This smoked loin was vacuum packed for us to take home and use at a later date.  The rabbit thighs were boned, combined with pigeon breast, pheasant, bacon pieces, rabbit liver and heart, Thyme, Rosemary, salt, pepper and onion in a red wine reduction.  This mixture was minced and pressed into glass jars for steaming to produce a delicious game pate. 

Pigeon Breasts with Beetroot

Pigeon breasts were pan fried with onion and garlic and beetroot (previously boiled).  This was served, rare, with Salsa Verde.  It totally reversed by view of pigeon as it was juicy and succulent with a subtle flavour.

Pheasant Tortilla

We prepared Pheasant from scratch without filling the room with feathers and produced a dish probably not normally associated with game i.e. Pheasant Tortillas.  We made the tortillas using a flour and water/oil mixture rolled out thinly and fried in a dry frying pan.  The Pheasant breast and thigh (boned) were cut into strips, tossed in oil with onions, garlic and spices and pan fried.  The meal was served with fresh green salad, creme fraiche and grated cheese - simple, quick and extremely tasty.

This is just a sample of some of the activities which we undertook on the day.  It was very relaxed and its success undoubtedly results from the expert support provided by our instructor, Tim Maddams, who instilled confidence in each of us with his friendly encouragement.

Roast Monkfish & Prawns with Spelt, Quinoa and Rice

Simple to prepare, tasty and healthy this is a great dish to prepare for supper with friends.  Use skinned tail fillets of Monkfish, season with a little sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and leave in a cool place for about 1/2 hour.  Drizzle the fillets with Olive Oil and bake in a closed casserole in a hot oven for about 15 minutes. I used a ready mix pack of Spelt, Quinoa, Red Rice and Wild Rice from the LOVElife range at Waitrose which only requires microwaving for 1 minute.  Serve the fish on top of the Spelt, with a few steamed Prawns, drizzle with a little Olive Oil and serve with Curly Kale on the side.  Delicious.