Seafood special

THEUNDER

Emma Dance finds out more about the west country seafood scene. From seasonal and sustainable produce, to top seafood restaurants.

&Seasonal sustainable

We might be used to seeing all kinds of seafood in the supermarkets all year round, seafood is — just as most fresh foods — seasonal. Seasonality in seafood, however, isn’t just about climactic seasons. In fact, it’s primarily about when fish are at peak harvest and at their most abundant. For example, if fish are harvested during spawning season then stocks could diminish. Additionally, buying “out of season” fish doesn’t only have a negative effect on fish stocks, but also means that in all likelihood, they’ve been sourced from far away, so bring a lot of food miles.

Here in the West Country, we’re lucky enough to have miles and miles of coastline, with waters that produce some of the best seafood that the UK has to offer, so there’s plenty of delicious fishy goodness on offer all year round. Fresh, locally caught seafood will almost certainly taste better than frozen varieties, which will likely have travelled large distances before reaching your plate.

Caroline Drever owns Dorset Shellfish, which provides quality fish and shellfish caught from her partner Graham’s boat, as well as other day boats working out of Weymouth, so is something of an expert when it comes to the best locally-caught seasonal seafood available.

“We catch all year round,” explains Caroline. “The fishing tends to be better in summer and autumn with more species, but it is very weather and tide dependant.

“At the moment, we are catching crabs, lobsters and sea bass, which are our main species.

“We produce dressed crabs from our own catch which are great just with some watercress and Jersey Royals. Sea Bass is good baked in the oven whole or pan fried fillets, served with homemade salsa verde.”

Doing the right thing

Eating seasonally, is all tied into “sustainability” and “responsible sourcing” — terms that are used frequently when it comes to seafood. But what exactly does it mean? To help us understand more, Seafish, the organisation that supports the UK seafood sector has put together a handy guide. “Sustainability is about meeting the needs of today’s consumers in a way that does not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. For seafood to be responsibly sourced, it needs to be caught or farmed in a way that: • minimises impact on fish stocks and the marine environment; • supports the livelihoods of fishing and coastal communities; and • respects basic human rights including welfare and equality.”

Caroline Bennett is the founder of Sole of Discretion, a collective of small-scale fishers fishing out of Plymouth harbour, and she is passionate about spreading the message of the importance of sustainability in seafood.

“I started Sole of Discretion because I’d been working on marine issues for two decades, and being a pragmatist, it troubled me that there was no bridge between the well intentioned and highly knowledgeable environmental NGO community and people that wanted to do the right thing,” she says. “Plenty of my friends would ask me what fish to eat and where to buy it, and there really were no easy answers. The only thing I could tell them was to look out for MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) species in the absence of any other clear guidelines, which was

Dorset Shellfish produce dressed crabs from their own catches.

frustrating, as I knew there were far better fisheries out there. So the pragmatist got together with the fantasist in me and Sole of Discretion was borne out of a desire to make it easier for the conscientious shopper to eat fish without that nagging doubt they might be contributing to a depleted and damaged marine ecosystem. It is nigh impossible for most people to be able to differentiate fish that had been caught with minimal impact to the marine eco system and those that have wreaked considerable damage and I was determined to make it easier.

“Knowing where to start in an incredibly complex marine world is tricky — while everyone knows that to limit damage on the seas hand-line caught fish are some of the best, while it doesn’t get much worse than dynamite (outlawed and yet still practiced in some parts of the world), but what about the rest? The vast majority of fishing lies somewhere in the middle of these two extremes. In this 99 per cent ‘grey’ fishing area, there are some practices that are significantly better than others, and Sole of Discretion’s aim is to help you navigate your way through. In a perfect world perhaps we would return to anglers catching all of our fish with a rod and line, but handline caught fish will satisfy only a fraction of demand so becomes elitist, amplifies fishing pressure on a limited number of species, and just as importantly, does nothing to differentiate between the most damaging fisheries and many of the better small-scale ones.

“Small-scale fishers around the globe face similar problems — access to the fishing areas or to quota, limited days at sea due to weather or seasonality, limited or no access to ice or processing facilities, inability to command control over prices and limited or no presence at policy level.

“Moreover, on the land side, their fish is not differentiated from those of the industrial boats, meaning that consumers are not able to actively buy fish from the smallscale fishers. For the most part, recognisable access to market, except at the very local level, is non-existent and all traceability is lost. This is in spite of the fact that more and more people are now actively choosing to buy ‘local’ or ‘ethical’ and take an interest in where their fish comes from as a result of rising awareness of the degradation of our seas.”

Support small

So, by buying from your local small-scale fishery, you almost certainly getting fresh produce, that has been sustainably and responsibly sourced. At Dorset Shellfish for example, they use static crab pots for the crab and lobsters which allows them to sort the size of the live crab and lobster, and return unharmed any which are too small, or wrong species. The sea bass is caught by a rod and line, and again any undersized or the wrong species is returned to the ocean to live another day. At the same time, you are also supporting a local business in an industry which faces a plethora of challenges.

Caroline Bennett explains further: “There are a number of hurdles the small-scale fishers are up against. Modern food systems are wasteful and inefficient — they require large volumes of the same species, of the same size, in order to be processed mechanically. This in turn requires industrial vessels to target certain species, of a certain size, and in large volume, thus facilitating this wasteful and inefficient means of fishing. The small-scale fishers tend to catch a wider range of species in lower volumes and of varying sizes, making their fish inappropriate for the today’s industrial scale food processing systems.

“It is often suggested that the world can’t rely on the small-scale fishers to meet global demand, and yet, research shows this to be fallacy. We are therefore committed to providing the public with better access to the catch of these smallscale fishers, in the knowledge that used wisely, the small-scale fishers are able to meet demand.”

www.dorsetshellfish.co.uk www.soleofdiscretion.co.uk

Top tips for buying sustainable seafood

Seafish has put together a handy guide to help you shop for sustainable seafood.

Ask for info

If you’re shopping at the fishmonger, don’t be afraid to ask where the fish came from! They will be able to tell you about the origins and the catching methods of the fish they sell.

mix it up

Some species can be put under more strain than others because we buy them more often. By eating a more varied range of species we can be more sustainable. (See page 29 for some ideas!)

Utilise online resources

Doing some research before you shop can help inform your choices when it comes to buying seafood.

Did you know FOODLOVER magazine is free to read online?

Head over to our website www.foodlovermagazine.com. You can also find us posting on social media at:

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CUTTLEFISH AND CHORIZO STEW

SERVES 4

1 large cuttlefish 200g chorizo 1 red pepper cut into 2cm dice 1 onion chopped 2 teaspoons tomato purée 3 plum tomatoes 2 cloves of garlic chopped 2 tins of tomatoes (skin, deseed and diced 2cm) 150ml white wine 250ml fish stock (optional) Olive oil Salt and pepper

1 Cut the cuttlefish tentacles just below the eyes and remove the mouth from the middle of the tentacles. 2 Remove all the guts from inside the hood and remove the bone. 3 Peel skin from outside of the hood. 4 Cut the hood in half length ways, then into strips and cut tentacles in half. 5 Sweat off the onions, garlic and chorizo in olive oil until soft, then add cuttlefish. Cook for 8 minutes, add white wine and cook for a further 5 minutes. 6 Now add diced peppers and tomato puree. 7 Place the tinned tomatoes in a liquidiser and blitz, then pass through a strainer to get rid of the pips. 8 Add the strained tomato juice and cook at a simmer for another 8 minutes, then add diced plum tomato and season. 9 If the sauce is a little thick, add some fish stock. 10 Simmer gently for 10-15 minutes until the cuttlefish is tender, then serve. Recipe by Seafish (seafish.org)

ON THE COVER

A guide to labels

Seafood can be sourced from supply chains which are shown to be sustainable, either through certification or where fisheries are working towards an improved level of sustainability. While not all sustainably sourced seafood is labelled as such, checking the label on products in store is still one of the easiest ways to find out more. The sheer volume of labelling can be confusing though, so Seafish has decoded some of the most common labels below — you’ll be an expert in no time!

Marine Stewardship Council

The MSC blue label is an independent sustainability label which indicates that seafood has been sourced using methods which minimise impacts upon the marine environment and fish stocks. The MSC’s standards comply with UN guidelines on eco-labelling.

Dolphin safe/ friendly

Dolphin safe/friendly labels indicate that your tuna or other seafood has not been sourced in a way that is harmful to dolphins. However, this does not necessarily exclude the possibility that other unwanted seafood and animal species have been caught using dolphin-safe methods.

RSPCA Assured

The RSPCA Assured welfare standard covers farmed salmon and trout and all aspects of the fish’s lives, including health, diet, environment, care and handling.

Pole-and-Line caught

This label indicates that seafood (e.g. tuna) has been caught using the pole-and-line method, which minimises the risk of catching other species (e.g. endangered turtles and sharks), making it a more responsible method of fishing.

CACCIUCCO

SERVES 4

700g assorted fish fillets such as whiting, hake, red mullet, fresh or defrosted 250g pack cooked seafood cocktail 5 tbsp olive oil 2 onions, sliced 2 carrots, sliced 2 celery stalks, sliced handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 2 red chillies, finely sliced 2 bay leaves 2 sprigs of fresh thyme 2 average glasses Italian red wine 6 vine tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped 1 ltr fish stock Salt and black pepper 12 slices Italian ciabatta 1 Preheat the oven to 200˚C/Gas Mark 6. 2 Cut all the fish fillets into large chunks and season. 3 In a large pan, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil and add the onions, carrots, celery, cooking for 2 minutes. Add the parsley, garlic, chillies, bay leaves and thyme. Cook for 3-4 minutes. 4 Add the red wine and bring up to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and continue to cook until the wine has reduced by half, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, fish and stock. 5 Bring to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes before adding the seafood cocktail. 6 Drizzle the bread with the remaining olive oil and bake in the oven for 5 minutes. 7 Lay the fish in the bottom of 4 bowls and ladle over the fish soup. Serve with the bread, to soak up all the lovely fish juices. Recipe by Seafish (seafish.org)

withKilling kindness

When it comes to eating meat, most people like to know that the animals have been welltreated and humanely dispatched. But how often do we consider how the crustaceans (lobsters, crabs, prawns etc) that we consume have been treated? The chances are, rarely — if ever. It’s just not a conversation that is often had. This is starting to change, however, and newly opened Paignton restaurant, Crab & Hammer, is aiming to be the first of its kind in the UK to use humane methods to kill or dispatch crustaceans prior to cooking.

The restaurant is owned by The Blue Sea Food Company, one of the country’s largest crab processing factories, which has for many years used a “Crustastun” machine, which stuns the creatures, a method acknowledged to be a more humane way of dispatching crabs and lobster. A smaller version of the same machine is used in the restaurant.

Director, David Markham, said: “The treatment of crustaceans has always been an interesting area — and also quite contentious.

“In the factory, we process such large volumes we don’t want to think that we are treating animals cruelly. Where we can, we try to mitigate anything. There are huge implications about the transport of live lobster, for example, so we are working on certain things we can put in the boxes to keep stress levels as low as possible. We have the same ethos in the restaurant.”

Crustastun is recognised by a number of leading welfare groups, including the RSPCA, as a humane and swift method of stunning crustaceans. Compared to boiling, which can take up to three minutes to kill even a small lobster, and cutting the animal in half which is unreliable, Crustastun interrupts the nerve function of the animal within half a second, meaning the shellfish can not feel pain. The animal is also killed in under 10 seconds, making it a dramatically quicker process compared to existing methods.

“Apart from stunning, spiking is considered the most humane method,” continues David. “Done properly, the animal is killed almost instantly. But it does have to be done properly.

“There’s huge lobbying in government to recognise crustaceans as sentient creatures and include them in animal welfare protections. Crustacean Compassion — an organisation which campaigns for the humane treatment of crabs, lobsters and other decapod crustaceans — has really raised the game. The biggest fear for the whole industry though, is that if the legislation is passed then some smaller producers, shops and restaurants will struggle. The stunner is an expensive bit of kit, and the small guys will find it difficult to afford it. There are some great small producers out there doing hand-picked crab etc — they are really important and they do a brilliant job.”

find out more

crabandhammer.co.uk crustaceancompassion.org.uk

HAKE IN A HURRY

SERVES 4

4 hake fillets, de-boned and skinned Vegetable oil, such as rapeseed oil Breadcrumbs, to coat Salt and pepper, to season Seasonal veg and lemon to accompany Spoonful of tartar sauce per person

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 5. Wash and dry the hake fillets. 2 Pour a little oil into a large baking tray; then place the hake fillets in the tray and gently turn over and around the oil to cover. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top and then turn the fish fillets over and sprinkle more breadcrumbs over the other side. 3 Season the breaded fillets with salt and pepper and bake in a pre-heated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crumbs are golden and crispy. 4 Serve immediately with lemon wedges, tartar sauce and seasonal vegetables and potatoes. Recipe by Seafish (seafish.org)

options different

You've heard the phrase, "there's plenty more fish in the sea," well, it's certainly true when it comes to the variety that you can use in cooking.

Chris Hart, director and fishmonger at Harts Natural Seafoods, gives the lowdown on some lesser used, but highly tasty options.

Cuttlefish ling

This is a great fish to highlight. It's half the price of squid and works just as well in any recipes I've tried. You will need to have the beak, head, innards and backbone removed. The tentacles are edible along with the side fins, although these might be a bit tougher than the body.

Dabs, Witch, and Megrim are all great substitutes for plaice or sole recipes. I like to fry the fillets in breadcrumbs making them into goujons and have them in tacos, because the fillets are small and thin they are ideal for this and it makes a quick and easy meal.

dab

witch

A great fish to try, it's a very firm fish and goes well in stews or curries. Most fish like this are in a higher price bracket but ling is one of the cheaper fish, so it can be swapped for monkfish or halibut if you are on a budget. Although it isn't the most sustainable, comparatively it is a better one to go for.

hake

Another fish which is a perfect alternative to cod and haddock, Cornish hake is one of the most sustainable fish you can buy at the moment.

megrim

Harts Natural Seafood is a family-run fishmonger — experts when it comes to supplying top quality fresh fish to local residents and businesses. You can find them at markets in Glastonbury, Castle Cary, Wells, Frome, Bradford on Avon, Shepton Mallet, and Warminster. hartsnaturalseafoods.com

wellbuy

Tim Greenslade, of Greenslade Fish in Torbay, shares his top tips for buying fish.

Buy fresh daily. The fish comes into the local fishmongers daily and simply can't be beaten. Always buy from real fishmongers. The knowledge they have about their fish is always the best.

Ask your fishmonger to

Get there early. The best fish goes so fast.

Look for whole locally caught fish. You get a much better idea of the freshness when buying whole fish.

prepare the fish for you. This will save you time at home and stop your bins smelling all week.

Crab & Hammer

The new addition to Paignton Harbourside, Crab & Hammer puts sustainability and humanity at its core, aiming to become the first of its kind in the UK to use humane methods to kill or dispatch shellfish prior to cooking (read more about that on page 27).

Signature dishes include a hot or cold seafood feast with Singapore chilli sauce, Cajun sauce or as nature intended, ‘straight-up’, and a crab bahn mi — a take on the South East Asian classic baguette. Also available are oysters, classic crab and lobster rolls, a crab cocktail/salad, as well as an epic burger and several delicious vegetarian options including a burrata salad.

crabandhammer.co.uk

triotop

Three of our favourite West Country seafood restaurants

Fatbelly Fred’s White Row Farm café and chippy

Fatbelly Fred's Fish and Seafood is an award-winning, family-owned restaurant in Barnstaple. The team prides itself on sourcing local and sustainable produce from across the North Devon coastline, and goes to great efforts to make sure each dish is fresh and individually prepared to suit you — even if you’re not a fan of fish!

For a light meal, the crab salad made with locally caught crab is not to be missed, or for something really special, go for the fruits de mer platter (just be sure to order a day in advance!).

fatbellyfreds.com It might not be a traditional seafood restaurant, but the fish and chip shop at this farm shop on the outskirts of Frome has won awards for a reason.

The fish used in the café and chippy is the same stuff stocked on the shop’s fish counter (also award-winning) which is sourced from the day boats in Cornwall and Portland to the Isle of Skye, Brixham Looe and more, and expertly prepared by fishmonger and head chef, Adie Ware. The daily specials are based on what comes in off the boat. For example, you might be able to enjoy lobster with home-grown and home-made chips, garlic butter and aioli or pan fried or battered lemon sole. You can even order a particular fresh fish from the fishmongers for the chippy to cook for you!

www.whiterowfarm.co.uk