Salmon is decidedly the most commonly bought and cooked fish in the UK. Which is very good too, as it’s an excellent source of lean protein and omega 3 fatty acids, both crucial in a good healthy diet. It is admittedly a versatile ingredient, happy to take on varied flavours and to be cooked in different ways.
But it is not the only fish: I’m out to encourage you all to vary your fish repertoire because varied diet is not only more interesting, it’s better for you as well!
Also, you might be surprised to find how easy some fish dishes are to prepare, and how quick fish is to cook. Don’t be scared of whole fish either – it’s often better value.
Here’s my top 10 of easy fishy dishes.
Whole fish is easier to cook than fillets: just sit it on a layer of lemon slices, tuck some herb sprigs around and roast for half an hour. One medium sized fish serves one person, or roast a large one for two people to share, about 10 minutes longer.
Rainbow or brown trout, the latter native to the UK, is quite inexpensive compared to other fish. It is delicious grilled, be it on barbecue or under oven grill, soused in Thai-style marinade. Just watch for the bones.
Thai flavoured grilled trout
RECIPE
Bream is as easy to grill as trout, and I recommend a medium-sized fish per person, rather than a large to share. It cooks through quicker and there’s no need to fillet it neatly before divvying. Balsamic marinade and cold butter make the fish skin turn blissfully crispy.
The first of pan-fried fillets in my collection is also the easiest: mackerel is not vulnerable to overcooking like more delicate fish, so you can relax while frying it. It won’t take long though before the mackerel needs flipping over and drizzling with sweet chilli to finish cooking in a delicious sticky sauce.
You’ll never go wrong pan frying fish fillets if you follow this recipe, and the secret to successfully cooking sea bass or sole fillets is super simple: a screaming hot pan and perfectly dry fish skin.
If you don’t fancy pan frying, there’s an even easier way: bake the sea bass fillets under a creamy spinach topping. It is dinner ready in 15 minutes, except for the creamy spinach sauce – which you want to make in advance and perhaps triple the amount for the freezer.
Sea bass baked with spinach
RECIPE
Cod, haddock, pollack or hake, the latter two being more sustainable alternatives, any large white fish can be used in this recipe. It is a tray bake of sorts, though obviously potatoes take much longer to bake even when sliced quite thinly.
Monkfish is quite pricey but there is no waste to it, if you buy a trimmed tail. And it’s very easy to cook: in my view the best spiced up with curry or Cajun seasoning, with ginger, saffron and a creamy sauce.
I believe the more expensive the fish, the simpler it should be cooked so you can enjoy the flavour with no worries you’ll waste the produce. This is genius in its simplicity: halibut fillet cooks on top of braising leeks, in a large saucepan or sauté pan covered with a lid.
Halibut with braised leeks
RECIPE
And finally, less expensive fish which looks and tastes like fine dining. Lemon sole fillets are briefly pan fried, then finished in a creamy, herby sauce. By all means use Dover sole fillets here too, if you want to splash.
Lemon sole with creamy sauce
RECIPE