'Have a little fishy on a little dishy' (English Seafood Cookery - Rick Stein)

Member Name: markos9

Product:	English Seafood Cookery - Rick Stein
Date:	18/07/09 (154 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Wonderful recipes in a very readable book.

Disadvantages: None.

Rick Stein must surely be familiar to anyone interested in cooking and eating seafood. His many books and television programmes promoting seafood have, I believe, had a real impact in Britain, with more types of fish available now than ever before.

Stein has a real passion for seafood; anyone who's read his books or seen his television programmes will know how fervently he talks about the many varieties of seafood available from around our shores and how we're missing out if we stick to cod and haddock.

The aim of 'English Seafood Cookery' is to promote the cooking of fresh fish caught from around the English shores. As Stein says, if it was a book of English seafood recipes, it would be very short! The recipes are, therefore, drawn from around the world, and adapted to the seafood we have available around our coast.

Stein makes the point that one of the most important factors in preparing a delicious seafood meal is the ingredients: the fish must be perfectly fresh in order to make the most of the recipe. To help the reader to select fresh fish, Stein describes what fresh fish should look, feel, and smell like (apparently, if fish smells fishy, it's not fresh; fresh fish will smell of the sea).

The author then moves on to the different types of seafood available from around our coasts. The number and variety of shellfish and fish that can be used in seafood recipes may surprise some people; crayfish, wrasse, and gurnard are all highly regarded, but unlikely to be found in the local supermarket.

Stein spends a lot of time instructing the reader in the correct preparation methods for seafood. He recommends buying whole fish, so more preparation is required than buying a fillet, but the freshness can be more easily gauged with a whole fish. Different fish require different techniques, so methods for readying eel for cooking are described along with shellfish and other fishes.

The various cooking methods are then detailed. The author states that 'if you find yourself boiling a piece of fish, even for the cat, you are ruining it'. The correct techniques for frying (avoiding oil soaking into the fish) and braising as well as charcoal grilling are all given the Stein expert treatment.

The many preparations that can be used in seafood dishes are then discussed, with methods for preparing stocks, sauces, and dressings all detailed. Here, the author explains that seafood cooking requires time to be performed correctly and cannot be rushed. Stein is a fan of good food, simply cooked, and he explains his philosophy perfectly here.

The last half of the book consists of recipes, and what mouth watering delights they are! Soups are described first; delicious sounding recipes like cod and mussel chowder, and shellfish bisque, make for hunger-inducing reading, especially with Stein's colourful and passionate descriptions of how they taste!

Small sections on hors d'oeuvres and salads, and starters (monkfish salad with mushrooms and pickled cherries) are followed by the book's 'main course'; the main courses!

Here, the dishes Stein describes sound simply gorgeous! Some are incredibly easy to prepare, like the baked plaice with cheese and cider which takes 20 minutes to make from only six ingredients. Others are more challenging such as bouillabaisse which takes over two pages to show the reader how to prepare and cook it. All the recipes will make the reader want to try them out, as soon as possible.

Obviously, not all fish will be available all the time due to the seasonal nature of fresh fish catches. The author explains that this is not a problem; simply substitute the fish named in his recipe with another of a similar type (brill for turbot, for example). This will give the reader the chance to 'customise' Stein's recipes to good effect.

This book is a marvellous resource for those of us who like seafood. The book explains which fish to buy and how to cook them to best effect. With a little effort, Stein's book helps us to make healthier, tastier meals, often saving money (gurnard tastes as nice as sea bass, but is much cheaper).

Buying seafood in this way also supports our local fishermen and helps to conserve fish stocks by not insisting on (the globally threatened) cod and haddock.

Anyone interested in getting more out of seafood cookery should take a look at this book.

The book is available from Amazon for £5.99 in paperback.

Summary: Expert advice on all aspects of fish buying and cooking