The journal

Hake with chorizo and butter beans

Hake sits between cod and monkfish in texture, with soft, large flakes and a delicate flavour that Spanish cooks build whole meals around. Ask for loin from the thick end, skin on, so it holds toge...

How to BBQ fish

The short answerGet the grate clean and hot, oil both the grate and the fish and cook over medium-hot coals, starting oily and whole fish skin-side down. Allow 3 to 5 minutes a side for fillets and...

Whole roast sea bass with fennel and lemon

A whole fish roasted on the bone stays moist and carries more flavour than a fillet, and sea bass is one of the easiest to get right. Ask the counter for a fish of about 500 to 600g and have it sca...

Beer-battered cod

Cod loin holds a batter because it is thick, firm and low in oil, so it stays in one meaty flake and does not break up in the fryer. Ask the counter for loin from the thick end of the fillet, skinn...

Ultimate prawn cocktail

The prawn cocktail earns its place when the prawns are cooked fresh and the sauce is made, never squeezed from a bottle. King prawns poached for minutes, a Marie Rose lifted with Worcestershire and...

Grilled mackerel with gooseberry

Mackerel is a rich, oily fish with firm flesh that holds together under a fierce heat, so it suits grilling more than almost anything on the counter. Ask us to fillet and pin-bone it, or to butterf...

Cook fish from frozen

The short answerYou can cook many fish fillets straight from frozen. Add roughly half the time again, cook it right through until it is just opaque and flakes cleanly, and season once the surface h...

Pan-fry fish for crisp skin

The short answerDry the skin thoroughly, lay the fillet skin-side down in a hot pan with a little oil and press it flat for the first 20 to 30 seconds so it does not curl. Cook about 80 percent of ...

Whole roast bream with garlic and lemon

Roasting bream whole on the bone keeps the flesh moist and gives you more flavour than a fillet, and it is one of the easiest whole fish to handle. Ask the counter for a fish of about 500 to 600g a...

Plaice goujons with tartare

Plaice is a flat fish with soft, sweet, fine flakes, which makes it ideal cut into strips and breaded, where a firmer fish would fight the crumb. Ask us to skin the fillets and you can slice them i...

Garlic king prawns

King prawns have a firm snap that survives fierce heat, so this is a two-pan-minute dish where the skill is restraint. Buy them raw and shell-on for the deepest flavour and we peel and devein them ...

Air fryer fish

The short answerSet the air fryer to 180C and cook fish fillets skin-side down for 8 to 12 minutes depending on thickness, until the flesh turns from glassy to just opaque and flakes cleanly. A thi...