In my humble opinion, we don’t make enough use of the fish and seafood we have on our doorstep.
The UK is an island surrounded by some of the coldest, deepest and most pristine fishing waters in the world. The North Sea contains huge stocks of cod, herring and other species. Brown crab, scallops, Cornish mussels and salmon grown in UK waters are considered to be among the best globally in terms of quality and taste. Scotland too has fantastic quality fish and shellfish, sadly however most of it is packaged and sold to Spain and France as soon as it is caught.
Wild caught sea bass and John Dory are no longer considered fish to avoid so we should be cooking, eating and enjoying these wonderful local fish to support our domestic fishing industry and savouring ingredients at their freshest, whilst loading our plates with great nutrition. Plaice and sole stocks have also shown significant recovery following a reduction in fishing pressure and this is reflected in an improvement in their ratings.
The waters that surround the British Isles are teeming with top quality fish and crustaceans including: cod, haddock, sea bass, plaice, sole, turbot, brill, pollock, mackerel, rays, lobster, crab, scallops and prawns. Despite the abundance of species, the British public remains firmly welded to the “big five” namely: salmon, cod, haddock, tuna and prawns. However, eating a wider range of fish would most certainly take the pressure off the most popular species.
As a nation there does appear to be a certain amount of apprehension around the cooking and eating of fish. Fear of over or under cooking it and concerns about food poisoning are simply due to a lack of knowledge and confidence. Then there are those who cite the lack of availability of fresh fish- it is now possible to get fresh fish delivered to your door direct from Grimsby, local markets often have a fresh fish stall and top quality fish can also be purchased online. In addition there’s a general preconception that fish takes a lot of time to prepare and a lack of good recipes.
Our one day fish class at The Cooking Academy has helped many a nervous customer to discover how quick, easy and tasty fish cookery really is. For the most part, people don’t always know how to cook fish or trust that it’s cooked and safe for consumption – so in our fish cookery classes we give our customers the confidence to understand what fish to buy, how to know whether it is fresh and the wherewithal to cook it to perfection.
Fish also come with a host of health benefits that have been scientifically proven to lower your risk of heart disease, protect against dementia, defend your eyes against certain diseases and provide an excellent source of Vitamin D. Incorporating fish into one’s diet can provide tremendous benefits to women with menopause symptoms and is even potentially linked to the delay on menopause by as much as three years.
Fish and shellfish are good sources of many vitamins and minerals. Oily fish, think salmon, sardines and herring, are also high in long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, which can help to keep your heart healthy. Omega -3 acids contribute to eye and brain development, this is the reason why, back in the day, fish was known as “brain food”.
White fish such as cod, haddock, plaice, pollock, tilapia and dab are low in fat and also contain omega- 3 fatty acids but at lower levels than oily fish.Cod, haddock, plaice, pollock, coley, dab, flounder, red mullet, gurnard and tilapia are all examples of white fish. Crustaceans such as prawns, mussels, scallops and langoustines are also low in fat and a source of selenium, zinc, iodine and copper.
So there are plenty of reasons why we can continue to eat fish, get all the benefits of this excellent protein and help the environment at the same time.
Visit our blog for more articles and recipes.
Let’s get social! Find us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter!
Kumud Gandhi is a Nutritional Food Scientist bestselling Author, Broadcaster, and Keynote Speaker on the subject of nutritional health for productivity & performance in the workplace. In 2010 Kumud founded ‘The Cooking Academy’ a cookery school that focusses on cooking for nutritional health and wellbeing. Kumud regularly presents to international audiences on a variety of topics such as ‘Eating for Immunity and a Lifetime of Wellness’. She is an expert in the field of Wellness in the Workplace and works with organizations to create transformational change in employee health & well-being through nutrition and health coaching.
Comments