The journal

Oven-baked fish

The short answerBake fish at 180 to 200C for 12 to 20 minutes depending on thickness, until the flesh is just opaque and flakes cleanly. A reliable rule is about 10 minutes per 2.5cm of thickness a...

Seared tuna steak with sesame

Tuna is a dense, meaty fish that firms up and dries fast, so it is cooked hard and quick on the outside and left rare in the middle. Ask for steaks cut thick, at least 2.5cm, so you can build a sea...

Oysters three ways

One dozen oysters gives you three ways to eat them, raw with a sharp mignonette, grilled under garlic butter and battered as tempura. Buy live rock oysters and we shuck them to order free, or shuck...

Fish tacos

A taco needs a firm white fish that holds in big flakes under a spice crust, so ask the counter for hake or pollock loin and we skin it and cut it into strips free. The build is a system, hot crust...

What fish to cook tonight

The short answerIf you have twenty minutes and want it to go right, cook a salmon fillet or sea bass. Both are forgiving, both take a hot pan or an oven and neither punishes you for looking away. I...

How to steam fish

The short answerSteam fish fillets over simmering water for 5 to 8 minutes, or a whole small fish for 10 to 15 minutes, until the flesh is just opaque and flakes cleanly. Season and lay it on a pla...

Smoked haddock chowder

A chowder is a chunkier, creamier cousin of cullen skink, and smoked haddock is what gives it backbone. Ask for an undyed cure, which flakes cleanly and keeps its shape in the bowl rather than diss...

Moules mariniere

Moules mariniere is a fast dish that lives or dies on the mussels, so buy them live and cook them the day you get them. Ask the counter and we clean and debeard them for you. The whole thing comes ...

Fish pie

A fish pie is better for a mix: smoked haddock brings the depth, a white fish like cod or pollock gives meaty flakes and prawns add sweetness. Ask the counter for a fish pie mix, skinned and cut to...

How to buy sustainable fish

The short answerThere is no single most sustainable fish, because it depends on where it came from and how it was caught or farmed. The reliable way to choose is to check the species and its source...

How to skin a fish fillet

The short answerLay the fillet skin-side down with the tail towards you, make a small cut at the tail between the flesh and the skin, then grip the skin and angle the knife down towards it while pu...

Seafood platter at home

A cold platter is mostly buying and arranging, with very little cooking. The skill is balancing texture across the plate: sweet white crab meat, firm cooked prawns, soft oysters, meaty lobster or c...