Seafood on a budget - can you have great quality for less?
Post categories: fish,听sustainable food
| 09:57 UK time, Tuesday, 24 July 2012
On my way to in Cornwall last weekend, I had one thing on my mind. Seafood. The annual literary festival, which takes place on the historic site of Port Eliot in St Germans, is best known as a celebration of words but food is becoming an increasingly popular part of the event.
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Raymond Blanc's fresh grilled mackerel with soy and lime dressing
鈥淵ou won鈥檛 find any greasy burger vans here,鈥 explained chef and local resident Chris Sherville who was running the festival鈥檚 hugely popular seafood caf茅. 鈥淛ust use your nose for navigation and you鈥檒l find your way around.鈥听
Nathan Outlaw's fresh mussels at this year's Port Eliot Festival
Sure enough I soon found my way to Port Eliot鈥檚 Victorian walled garden where hordes of hungry punters were queuing up to sample the seafood caf茅鈥檚 lobster with saffron aioli and oysters from Bigbury Bay. It was all delicious, but at around 拢10 a throw, it鈥檚 not exactly my idea of budget seafood.听
If like Chris you鈥檙e lucky enough to live a听short distance from听the coast, it鈥檚 easy to lay your hands on fresh and affordable fish all year round. You could develop a good relationship with a fisherman or fishmonger, or you can always catch your own. But if you鈥檙e landlocked, you might have to cast your net a bit wider, explains Chris.
If like Chris you鈥檙e lucky enough to live a听short distance from听the coast, it鈥檚 easy to lay your hands on fresh and affordable fish all year round. You could develop a good relationship with a fisherman or fishmonger, or you can always catch your own. But if you鈥檙e landlocked, you might have to cast your net a bit wider, explains Chris.
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鈥淎s long as you鈥檙e willing to try something new, there are many alternatives out there that are tasty and affordable. Take for instance dab, gurnard, clams and squid 鈥 all widely available in supermarkets,鈥 says Chris, who also gives fish cookery demonstrations at the festival. 鈥淕urnard may look peculiar, but if you season [a fillet] well then panfry it in olive oil, add a squeeze of lemon, a few capers, some lemon zest and fresh parsley, it鈥檚 absolutely delicious.鈥澨
Shellfish such as clams and mussels are also a good budget option as they are widely available and offer good value for money. Chris likes to cook clams with pasta, making a sauce out of cream, chorizo and garlic, topped off with some sherry or brandy. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an inexpensive meal that feeds a lot of people,鈥 he says. He also recommends squid for experimenting with strong flavours. 鈥淚 use squid all the time as it takes on all the wonderful flavours from South East Asia to Mexican spices.鈥
Eating fish regularly also has clear health benefits. The Department of Health recommends eating two portions of fish a week, including one portion of oily fish which is high in Omega-3 fatty acids and can help prevent heart disease. Oily fish such as mackerel, salmon and sardines are also a good source of vitamins A and D.
A good way of incorporating mackerel into your diet is to buy it smoked or to cure it yourself, says Mich茅lin-award winning chef, Nathan Outlaw. He was demonstrating simple mackerel and oyster recipes at the festival鈥檚 bowling green. 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 bother with mackerel if it鈥檚 more than two days old, but curing is a great way to make it last longer.鈥 Curing and smoking also brings out the superb flavour of the fish such as this mackerel and horseradish recipe with oyster sauce.听
If you鈥檙e looking to save money without compromising on quality you could always do as Nathan does and adopt a less-is-more approach. 鈥榊ou risk ending up with something that鈥檚 not very nice if you try and save money when it comes to quality fish,鈥 he says. 鈥淚 would rather have fish one day of the week and听meat听another and then eat vegetables or risottos the rest of the week 鈥 so I can afford good quality fish.鈥
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You can also make your seafood go further by making curries, soups and stews, explains Nathan. 鈥淭ake a fish like grey mullet. It鈥檚 a nice chunky fish, very similar to sea bass so it can handle big flavours. So if you鈥檙e into curries or pastas with strong sauces it鈥檚 ideal.鈥 As a sustainable and affordable alternative to cod, you could also opt for a fish such as pollack which works well in a stew such as this Cornish听salt pollack, squid and mussel stew recipe.听听
If you live away from the coast and can afford to pay a little more, you could consider buying from an online fish merchant. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great because you can see what you鈥檙e buying in advance and you can guarantee it has come fresh from the market that morning and will be with you the next day,鈥 says Nathan.听 You have to factor in a delivery costs but if you鈥檙e able to split an order between friends, it can become more cost effective. Some suppliers also offer online seasonality charts so that you can see when fish stocks are in abundance and therefore more affordable.
A good way of incorporating mackerel into your diet is to buy it smoked or to cure it yourself, says Mich茅lin-award winning chef, Nathan Outlaw. He was demonstrating simple mackerel and oyster recipes at the festival鈥檚 bowling green. 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 bother with mackerel if it鈥檚 more than two days old, but curing is a great way to make it last longer.鈥 Curing and smoking also brings out the superb flavour of the fish such as this mackerel and horseradish recipe with oyster sauce.听
If you鈥檙e looking to save money without compromising on quality you could always do as Nathan does and adopt a less-is-more approach. 鈥榊ou risk ending up with something that鈥檚 not very nice if you try and save money when it comes to quality fish,鈥 he says. 鈥淚 would rather have fish one day of the week and听meat听another and then eat vegetables or risottos the rest of the week 鈥 so I can afford good quality fish.鈥
听
You can also make your seafood go further by making curries, soups and stews, explains Nathan. 鈥淭ake a fish like grey mullet. It鈥檚 a nice chunky fish, very similar to sea bass so it can handle big flavours. So if you鈥檙e into curries or pastas with strong sauces it鈥檚 ideal.鈥 As a sustainable and affordable alternative to cod, you could also opt for a fish such as pollack which works well in a stew such as this Cornish听salt pollack, squid and mussel stew recipe.听听
If you live away from the coast and can afford to pay a little more, you could consider buying from an online fish merchant. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great because you can see what you鈥檙e buying in advance and you can guarantee it has come fresh from the market that morning and will be with you the next day,鈥 says Nathan.听 You have to factor in a delivery costs but if you鈥檙e able to split an order between friends, it can become more cost effective. Some suppliers also offer online seasonality charts so that you can see when fish stocks are in abundance and therefore more affordable.
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So with a bit of planning and a willingness to eat a variety of fish and shellfish, there are ways of making seafood work on a budget. Here are some suggestions of how to make your seafood go further鈥
Spaghetti with clams, garlic and parsley
How do you make your seafood go further? Would you buy from an online fish merchant? Is the supermarket failing you when it comes to seafood?
Comment number 1.
At 20th Aug 2012, Kittysleep wrote:Morrisons fish counter is the best of the supermarkets in my area (S Wales) and I always look for the special offer bargains and stock up the freezer. This means that I can make a spectacular fish pie containing lots of different fish and shellfish.
But my recipe for salmon and sour cream pie never fails to impress. It uses just 1lb of salmon - I use a tail - and serves 6 generously.
Poach the fish in white wine and water, with seasoning. Make a very thick cheese sauce with 1 pint of the reserved liquid and stir in a small carton of soured cream, a good handfull of chopped parsley and 4 chopped hard boiled eggs. Allow it to go cold. Flake the fish when cooled.
Make short crust pastry with 10 oz flour, 5 oz fat and add 2 heaped tbsp of finely grated Parmesan before the water.
All this can be done in advance and stored in the fridge, then assemble the pie when it needs to be cooked. Roll a third of the pastry thinly to cover a greased swiss roll tin. Layer half the sauce on the pastry base, then add the fish and finally top with the rest of the sauce. Roll out the rest of the pastry thinly and cover the pie. Make sure the edges are well sealed, pierce a hole in the top and if you are feeling artistic decorate with pastry fish. An egg wash is essential to give a spectacular golden finish.
Bake at gas 6 for about 45 mins. Allow to stand for 10 mins before serving. It never fails to get lots of Oohs and Aahs but doesn't break the bank!
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Comment number 2.
At 23rd Aug 2012, mikstroa wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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Comment number 3.
At 27th Aug 2012, French Foodle wrote:Morrisons fish counter is also the best in my area. Always find octopus, seam bream, langoustine..
Love your salmon and sour cream pie!
C茅lia for
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