Fish … which fish do you eat?

[Suffs]

I thought this was interesting
https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... or-schools

When I shop for fresh fish in Supermarkets I find less variety than when I shop at the few dedicated fishmongers’ shops that still exist, mostly in coastal towns … and if we’re in a fishing village when a boat has just come in we’ll buy direct from the boat … but it’s not something that happens often.

Last time I was at Southwold harbour in the herring season I asked at the fish stall if they had any herring and he got me some from ‘out the back’. ‘We usually keep the herring for bait’ he said. ‘Nobody buys them any more … they don’t know how to cook them.’ To me they’re areal delicacy.

Which fish do you buy? Do you ever buy any of the more unusual varieties … those less in demand commercially … or would you if they were more available?

[Seatallan]

If we were nearer the coast I'd definitely buy more fresh fish (there's a few places on the Solway coast where you can buy direct from the fishing boats) but honesty compels me to admit that our stock fish tend to be the ones that come in the Sainsbury's deliver- salmon and basa fillets mainly. I buy local shellfish however (and Morecombe Bay potted shrimps and haddock) on a regular basis.

I remember when my dear Scottish friend was dying (we were 'babysitting' her for a few days whilst her husband attended a family wedding) one of her neighbours turned up on the doorstep with some fresh mackerel caught in the loch (Little Loch Broom) earlier in the day. Neighbour thought friend might fancy them. She was a vegi as it happens (and wasn't eating much by then anyway) but I gutted and pan-fried said fish for me and Mr S and my goodness they were tasty! Nothing like properly fresh fish is there....

[Pepper Pig]

I only buy fish from the Waitrose fish counter these days - no fishmongers round here. I'll buy halibut if they have it, salmon and a Loch Fyne kipper for a treat. (So some of us DO buy herrings)!

[Suffs]

Thats what I've discovered PepperP … it’s easier to buy kippers than fresh herring …. I love kippers, but there’s few things as good as a sweet panfried fresh herring rolled in fine oatmeal.

[Lusciouslush]

I absolutely adore fish - all fish - except for swordfish, which I used to like but had a bad experience a few years back when I cooked it had a strong 'urine' smell - bought from a good f/monger but apparently it's all in the cutting of that fish, won't touch it now which is a shame.
I was raised on the Gower Peninsular & fish of all sorts was a staple.

I don't buy fish from s/markets - really second class fish on all counts - but if that is your only option than you don't have much choice.
We are lucky where we live down on the south coast with good fishmongers & choice - not cheap these days, in fact eye-wateringly expensive at times but worth it. I could live on fish.

[Seatallan]

Thats what I've discovered PepperP … it’s easier to buy kippers than fresh herring …. I love kippers, but there’s few things as good as a sweet panfried fresh herring rolled in fine oatmeal.

Oh I quite agree!

[Lusciouslush]

except for swordfish

meant to say skate swordfish is lovely..............

[Seatallan]

I have a real hankering for baked trout now.

[Lusciouslush]

This has reminded me how long it's been since I've had herring...............

[miss mouse]

Am I allowed to say I don't see the point of fish? More left for the rest of you.

[Norfolkman]

How lucky I am to have these two a short drive away.

https://www.gurneysfishshop.co.uk/

https://bunningsfish.co.uk/

And there are others in my area.

[Pepper Pig]

I remember the small Gurneys on the road at Brancaster.

[Earthmaiden]

I like most fish but despite being taught quite well how to deal with the anatomy of fish like mackerel and herring both in the kitchen and at the table I'm still useless at finding those horrible little bones.

I prefer filleted fish, unless the skeleton is simple, preferably filleted by someone else . We haven't got a decent non-supermarket fishmonger. There used to be a man who came round with fish supposedly from Brixham. It was tasteless.

Can't think of a fish or shellfish I would refuse apart from sustainability reasons.

[Stokey Sue]

I love fish, adn eat quite a lot of it

I haven't noticed a fresh herring in a long time, and my herring filleting days are over, but there's a jar of roll mops in the fridge, and I notice that some of the restaurants we are looking at for Brussels in a few weeks have matjes herrings on the menu though it may be too late in the season by then; matjes are the young herrings that swarm through the North Sea and the Baltic in early to mid summer, they are served sort of half pickled, various translation of matjes, but I'll go with a suggestion from my Uncle Harry (Hendrik) of Enkhuizen and Amsterdam, who translated it as "maiden herring"

We have a good fishmonger, who will fillet, but as I usually only want one portion I tend to go with fish from the supermarket or even frozen that I won't need to pick invisible bones out of, smoked haddock last night, yum (a nice middle cut) or that are easy to debone while eating like gilt-head bream
I'd like a trout too, but the Yorkshire trout I used to see seem to have vanished locally, and I need a largish one as the little eyelash sized bones are a bit tricky

[Norfolkman]

My most favoured fish is skate.

Not that easy to find but both my fishmongers offer it.

And as an added bonus one of the chippys in Downham Market does battered skate wing.

Battered skate wing is not easy to eat but is well worth the effort if the batter is crisp.

[Stokey Sue]

I had plaice fillet and chips in Hastings a couple of weeks ago
It was huge, and properly filleted, plaice was always what Mum and I had from the chippy (Mr Sadler) when my dad was away (he grew up as far from the sea as possible in England, and didn't trust chippy fish, which apparently was horrible there ca 1930)

[Badger's Mate]

I used to buy fish from Gurney’s hole in the wall.

I’ve claimed before that if I had to restrict myself to one animal for food, it would be the herring. Pickled in all its forms, smoked in many others, plus roes and fresh; what more could you want?

Of course, if you’ve got the choice, you’d want other fish as well! Mrs B isn’t a great fan of fish, but prefers the meaty types such as swordfish, tuna halibut or monkfish. In recent times she has developed a taste for turbot. I’m quite happy with most fish, although not keen to repeat my experience of eating wind-dried lumpfish in Iceland.

There are some fish that I love but don’t eat as often as I used to. Can’t remember the last time I ate eel, but recently bought a pack of smoked eel. My favourite fish from the chippy is rock eel but again, can’t remember the last time I had it.

[northleedsbhoy]

Leeds market ha Fish Row and it was full of independent stalls selling fresh fish from the local fishing ports such as Scarborough. Nothing in Stafford though now, the only one closed as did the Fish counter in Tesco.

Cheers
NLB

[Badger's Mate]

In my Norwich days I used to make a point of going to the market on Saturday and buying a bloater for tea. No idea if the stall is still there.

Many years ago I would bring dozens of kippers back from Cley Smokehouse and sell them at cost to colleagues at W***. Similarly a couple of us would go to Billingsgate early on the occasional Saturday, then drop off orders to people later in the morning.

[Badger's Mate]

On one occasion I asked a friend to give me a lift back from Cley, with several boxes of kippers. She noticed that every time the car stopped, there was a waft of smoky fish from the back.

I’m surprised she married me…