How to get more fish in your diet – expert tips

Although we’re an island nation, surveys suggest that many of us aren’t that comfortable with preparing or cooking fish. But fish shouldn’t be overlooked - it can be cheap, healthy and nutritious. We asked experts for their advice on everything from how to buy the freshest fish to which sauces to serve alongside…

And today (Friday 14th March) you can head to Sainsbury's and get a free alternative when you ask for one of the Big Five: cod, haddock, tuna, salmon and prawns at the fish counter.

Buying the freshest fish

The ‘fishy’ smell can sometimes put people off cooking fish - but very fresh fish won’t smell fishy at all. Head Chef Ben Fisher at The Gallivant in Rye told Yahoo that shoppers should look for fish that has “bright eyes, bloody gills, slimy skin and is firm to the touch.” Avoid fish with sunken, cloudy eyes – an indication that the fish is no longer at its best - and always eat (or freeze) as soon as possible after purchase.
 
Easy filleting tips

Buying fish in ready-to-cook fillets is often much more expensive than buying a whole fish and filleting it yourself. But where do you start? Ben comes to the rescue: “Use a really sharp knife and starting from the head, find the fish’s backbone. Make an incision with the tip of the blade into the flesh and, using one motion, go all the way to the tail. Repeat the action until the fillet is removed.” Ben says that putting pressure on the belly of the fish will help, and when you prepare the other fillet, just start at the tail end and work up to the head.

[In season: Swede, carrot and courgette quinoa]
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Pat Newland (‘Pop’) owns Poppies Fish and Chips in Spitalfields, London (it’s just been voted the UK’s Best Independent Fish and Chip Restaurant of the Year). He gave us some advice on skinning fish, which can be quite a slippery job: “Do not be afraid to use salt on your fingers, for grip,” he says, adding that holding the fish with a hand towel will also help.

Pan-frying a fish fillet

So, you’ve bought your fish and filleted it - how do you cook it? You can wrap it in foil and bake it in the oven, poach or grill it. But one of the easiest and quickest ways to cook fish is to fry it. “When cooking use a hot pan, season the fish, place oil in the pan and cook the fish skin side down to retain moisture,” Ben tells us. “Cook until two thirds cooked, then add a good knob of butter and turn the heat right down. Flip the fish and let the butter foam. Once the foaming has finished, your fish will be ready to serve.” Easy.

Which sauces to serve with your fish

If you’re going to incorporate some delicious and nutritious fish into your weekly meal plan then it helps to add variety with some simple sauces. David and Holly from Manna cooking school recommend serving a lemon, chilli and mint sauce with scallops. Fernando and Kristy Stovell of Stovell’s in Chobham, Surrey have developed a mustard and tarragon sauce to serve alongside fish, and they reckon a lemongrass sauce - with ingredients including fennel, thyme and white wine - works well with sea bream. Other flavours to try with fish include lime, dill, tomatoes, lemon and chives.

What are your favourite ways to eat fish?