Head Chef

John Simon

Cooking Hints & Tips

Cooking / handling fish

Rub lemon juice on fish before cooking. This will help the fish maintain colour and enhance its flavour.

Coat fish in flour when pan frying. This will help develop a crisp flavoursome crust, while keeping the inside tender and flakey

Its best to grill, steam or poach oily fish so that the natural fats can drain while being cooked.

To check for doneness, cut through the thickest part of the fish. The meat should be opaque in colour and still moist

Mussels

Choose fresh mussels that are fully closed or that do close when tapped hard.
Mussels are best cooked by steaming with a small amount of stock, wine, cream on high heat for 3 – 5 mins for the liquid to reduce. Discard any mussels that do not open.

Shucking oysters

To shuck an oyster, place the cupped side down on a firm surface. Hold in a cloth with the hinge of the shell towards you. Wiggle the blade of the oyster knife between the two shells, either at the hinge or on the side and twist firmly to open. Use the blade to free the muscle of the oyster away from the shell and enjoy and consume straight away with a squeeze of fresh lemon.

Buying fish

Always buy fish on the day you want to cook and eat it so it is as fresh as possible, whether from a fishmonger or the supermarket. The supplier should be able to scale, clean and fillet the fish for you. Ask for the trimmings if you want to make a stock, after all you have paid for them.

Key things to look out for when purchasing fish:

• Clean, bright, slightly bulging eyes
• Bright red gills
• Shiny tight scales, no missing scales
• Moist, shiny, bright skin & firm flesh
• Gentle sea smell, not a fishy odour