Fish Indian Style
Chef and restaurateur Atul Kochhar is one
of the better known Asian faces on food TV in the UK. His restaurant, Benares,
holds a Michelin star and he has recently opened another two restaurants. I
think we can safely conclude that Atul understands food.
This is a
sumptuous book with wonderful photographs by David Loftus who shows off Atul’s
dishes to best advantage but also adds striking close-ups of the stars of this
book, the fish.
Although a fish eater, I must admit that it is, more
often than not, bland. Chefs will try and persuade you that the lack of taste
should be considered as “delicate”. But many of us prefer more robust flavours
that if well chosen can enhance fish, and Atul has chosen well.
Fish
Indian Style offers over one hundred superb and unique recipes for all kinds of
fish and seafood. Most of the dishes have several alternatives to suit the
seasons. Trout might be substituted for salmon, sea bass or sea bream. Atul has
recipes for every occasion and for every taste.
Fish isn’t cheap so it’s
good to be able to be flexible. There are all kinds of fish, from the pricey for
when you feel like pushing the (fishing) boat out, to cheaper choices like
mackerel which is so often overlooked. Lobster might be beyond you at the end of
the month but you could substitute prawns.
Indian food is a great love of
mine and these recipes don’t disappoint. The food of the subcontinent isn’t
always fiery hot but is often aromatic and subtle. Atul’s ingredients marry well
to produce delicious dishes that are both exotic and simple. The spices are not
expensive and you’ll probably already have them to hand.
There are quite
a few recipes here that I would consider outstanding. Chilli-fried potted
shrimps, which is a rework of a British classic, and Crayfish Samosas, which is
a new take on an Indian classic. They are both simple recipes but produce lovely
results for starters or even an Anglo-Indian brunch or supper buffet. Konkani
Fish Curry in a Spicy Coconut Sauce is perhaps one of my (many) favourites. Its
combinations of spices and coconut typify the flavours of Indian cuisine, and
this is a traditional recipe.
Fish Indian Style will be well received by
those of us who want to do more with fish. It’s an exceptional book with
inspiring ideas that will encourage you to experiment...and probably to eat more
fish!
Fish Indian Style
Author: Atul Kochhar
Published by:
Absolute Press
Price: £20.00
ISBN 9781904573838
 Cornish Fishing and Seafood
Fishing is Britain’s most
dangerous peacetime occupation. Now, there’s a thought!
This is a
gorgeous, full-colour volume (photographer Adam Woolfitt does fantastic work)
that I hesitate to describe as a coffee table book. It’s glossy and lovely but
it’s a book you should read. It’s a serious, worrying and inspiring book that I
had to wrest from the hands of my husband. He was born in a fishing town and so
understands the changes that have been forced upon the industry over the past
years.
This is a book about fishing, yes, but it’s about community,
heritage and the future. Each section contains the personal views of people at
the sharp end - the fishermen who risk their lives working in an industry that
seems to be dogged by bureaucracy. These are the histories that add real warmth
to the subject.
Cornish Fishing and Seafood isn’t quite a recipe book but
it is a book that any serious food enthusiast should read. We, the fish-buying
public, can make a difference to policy and attitude, but we need to be
well-informed.
Andrew Pasco is a fisherman and the Vice Chairman, South
West Handline Fishermans Association. He says “...I think it (the fishing
industry) has been poorly managed over the years. As far as the government was
concerned, the fishing industry didn’t mean that much to the country, there
wasn’t that many votes in it. Whereas in France and Spain, because they eat a
lot more fish, fish and fishing and fishermen are very important because of the
money they make and bring into the area, and they are treated in a different
fashion than we are in this country.”
On the subject of quotas, Rick
Stein says “One of my arguments was that maybe if we all ate a much bigger
variety of fish, we wouldn’t be targeting a specific species”.
On a less
political note, there’s a whole bunch of lovely fish recipes for monkfish,
mackerel, red mullet and many other kinds of fish. Rick Stein contributes
Herring Recheado, Katchumber Salad and Pilau Rice. It’s a curry and sounds
delicious.
This is the book to give you a real insight into the industry.
Buy it and read it. It will still look good on the coffee
table!
Cornish Fishing and Seafood
Author: Carol Trewin, Forward:
Colin Warwick,
Published by: Alison
Hodge Publishers
Price: £14.95
ISBN 0-906720-42-7
Fish – The Complete Fish and
Seafood Companion
Well, that is quite a claim for a book – to be the
complete something or other. Fish – The Complete Fish and Seafood Companion does, at first
glance, seem to have all the credentials of a major work on the subject. The
hardback volume is artfully embossed and has the feel of quality.
Mitch
Tonks has a reputation in the UK as one of the finest seafood chefs. He has been
voted Tattlers’ Restaurateur of the Year and described as a Fishmonger for the
21st century by the Independent newspaper. He is also an award winning author.
He is oft seen on UK TV and has an infectious enthusiasm for all things fishy,
and he has encouraged a fish-wary public to cook simple and delicious seafood
dishes.
Fish – The Complete Fish and Seafood Companion has around a
hundred recipes but this book is also something of a fish encyclopaedia, a
veritable “Enquire Within” of seafood. The photographs by Chris Terry show
Mitch’s food to great advantage and the illustrations by Richard Bramble are the
equal of those you would find in the best reference books.
We, the
general public, find ourselves on the horns of a dilemma. Whilst we know that
fish is good for us we are also regaled with tales of unsustainable stocks,
legislation from Brussels...and the occasional pollution scare. Yes, fish is
good for us, we can source fish that we can eat without guilt, and this book
gives you all the advice you’ll need to find fish in season and cook it to
perfection.
Part One of Fish – The Complete Fish and Seafood Companion
looks at such things as fishing techniques, sustainability and why fish is so
good for us. It would be so easy to skip to the recipes (they are probably the
reason you bought the book) but it’s all good background to the subject and
those pages show Mitch Tonks to be passionate and knowledgeable.
The
recipes are the stars. The beauty of this book is that it focuses on fish that
are accessible. We are not just talking the classy, pricey sorts but also the
humble coley which is, in my opinion, so underrated. Stew of Coley, Roasted
Peppers and Small Mullet has the taste of southern France but you’ll make this
at home for a fraction of the price you’d pay in a smart(ish) port restaurant in
Marseille. Mitch salts the coley overnight to change the texture. A chunk of
crusty bread, a glass of red (no, don’t tell me it must be white to go with
fish) and you’ll be longing for the perfume (?) of Gaulois
cigarettes.
Mackerel are a reasonable price and one of the most healthful
fish. Mitch has an exotic Roasted Mackerel with North African Spices. The spice
rub is aromatic with a hint of heat from cayenne. This would be a great summer
meal for guests as the fish can be marinating in advance and they only take ten
minutes to cook in the oven. Serve with lemon and a green salad.
It’s
not all about transporting you to far-flung and sun-drenched oases. Grilled
Herring with Devilled Butter is very English. This recipe uses those traditional
“devilled” spices of cayenne, ginger, and pepper. Oily fish can take a robust
seasoning and even those who are card-carrying avoiders of fish will enjoy this
recipe. Not too “fishy”!
Skate is a fish designed for those who don’t
like bones. It’s an easy fish to eat and has a unique texture. Fried Skate Wing
with Caper Mayonnaise couldn’t be easier to prepare. The fish is fried in
breadcrumbs to give a crunchy outside but a soft and delicate flesh inside. The
mayonnaise is fresh and tangy but the fish would be lovely with just a squeeze
of lemon.
This is quite the most comprehensive fish book available - it
lives up to its claim of being “complete”. It’s an indispensible addition to a
food lover’s bookshelf. It’s well written, well researched and should become a
classic.
Fish – The Complete Fish and Seafood Companion
Author: Mitch Tonks
Published by: Pavilion Books
Price: £25.00
ISBN
978-1-86205-833-0
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