The River Cottage Fish Book by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Nick Fisher
Split into three parts, this rather hefty volume (607 pages) is one of the most comprehensive guides to fish around. It covers British fish from their habitats to accompanying sauces, and the middle section features delicious recipes such as crab bread and butter pudding and curried mussels – each recipe lists alternative varieties of fish you could use. There is also an emphasis on sustainability and harvesting issues, but why expect anything less from the pioneer of the successful Fish Fight campaign? (Bloomsbury, 2011)
Fish Easy by Mitch Tonks
As the title suggests, this is one of the simpler cookbooks out there. Each of the 120 recipes use just a handful of ingredients and (claim to) take no more than 30 minutes to prepare. There are additional tips and tricks for simplifying the recipes even further, or to make a similar dish on the cheap. A good guide for anyone just starting to branch out into cooking fish. (Anova Pavilion, 2012)
Fish & Shellfish by Rick Stein
Just published this month, the latest cookbook from the legendary seafood chef is fresh out of the fryer. It’s probably one of the most practical; there are almost 100 pages dedicated to step-by-step instructions for preparing and cooking fish, with images illustrating each stage. You’re shown how to prepare all varities of fish (mackerel and monkfish through to rays and eels), hot-smoke oily fish over a wok, bake fish in a salt crust, and kill and cook all types of shellfish. Then come the recipes; sea bass pollichathu (slightly charred), tuna carpaccio and prawn molee will certainly leave your mouth watering. (BBC, 2014)
Fish: 55 Seafood Feasts by Cree LeFavour
This bright and bold cookbook takes you around the world in fish, with six chapters of seafood feasts organised by flavour profile; American, Bistro, Latin, East Asian, South Asian, and Middle Eastern and African. If you like to shake things up in the kitchen, this cookbook’s for you – recipe highlights include New Haven white clam pie, Basque peasant bacalao, pan-fried lime-chipotle tilapia, and kimchi oyster dogs. (Chronicle, 2013)
The Complete Nose to Tail by Fergus Henderson
Not strictly a fish cookbook but this is an absolute must for anyone looking to buy, cook and eat more sustainably. Henderson, who founded London’s St John restaurant, is a champion of the nose-to-tail movement, noted for using offal and other often-neglected cuts of meat. Here, he carries this philosophy over to fish with simple and stylish recipes for salt cod and ling, grey mullet, and soft roes on toast. Includes helpful (and witty) tips: “I recall reading somewhere that skinning an eel is like removing a lady’s stocking. It is not, so leave the skin on.” (Bloomsbury, 2012)
Sustainable fishing: the view from head chefs
What have we missed? Are there any fish cookbooks you absolutely swear by? Let us know below.
Interested in finding out more about how you can live better? Take a look at this month’s Live Better challenge here.
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