Mustard Crusted Plaice

My connection with seafood

Growing up in the Middle East, to a family of accomplished cooks, seafood was a regular feature on the dining table. Even as a young child I was happily picking my way through the fiddly bones of the native red mullet or enjoying a kingfish curry, and from there my love of seafood was born and continues to live strong.

Some twenty or so years later, and having been a passionate cook throughout that time, I became a regular customer of the fish stall in my local farmers’ market and was astounded by how amazing native UK fish was, caught by local day boats and brought to market with the least possible delay and in the freshest condition possible. But I soon realised, to get the good stuff you had to beat the queue! That meant getting in line well before the market opened and spending that time chatting with the other devoted seafoodies. Recipes were swapped, ideas exchanged and knowledge shared. And ten years on, when the COVID pandemic struck and the staffing of the market stall came under pressure, I was only too happy to serve on the stall for a number of Saturdays which inevitably gave me the opportunity to meet and share ideas with the enthusiastic customer community.

Travel for me is all about the food I find and, having been fortunate enough to have travelled quite extensively in my life, I have come across a wide variety of cuisines. But amongst those cuisines the seafood dishes invariably draw my focus, and these form a central part of the recipes I have now been sharing on my website for over two years. Though the recipes may originate from far and wide, the seafood in my recipes is always local, seasonal and from sustainable sources.

Why sustainability is important to me

To someone privileged enough to buy fish caught by day boats and sold in local farmers’ markets, it becomes apparent that seasonality and sustainability come as something of a package. Species out-of-season do not come to market so, while those species are left to rebuild their numbers, other species take centre stage. And so the seafoodie’s cookery year becomes distinguished by a continual but varying source of sustainable seafood.

As a passionate cook this variety makes for an enticing challenge to continually expand the repertoire. And with that comes the opportunity to create with more sustainable species, caught in a responsible manner, causing minimal possible harm to the marine environment. But at the same time the fact that it supports the smaller fishing operations who take great care over the health of their fisheries can only be a fantastic benefit for all.

The MCS Good Fish Guide is an invaluable resource that I regularly refer to when trying to ensure I am making the best choices.

Website: www.butestseafoodie.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/butestseafoodie/