Standing on the quayside at Whitby on a cold, blustery day in spring whets the appetite for a fresh fish supper. Whitby is famous across Europe for the quality of its catch. But it is cold and stormy and as I look out over the foreboding North Sea, Dave Winspear, from award winning fishmonger - Whitby Catch - reminds me what it takes to land fish from the cold, turbulent, waters surrounding our shores.
“Each year nine trawlers fish up to 100 miles out at sea battling the fiercest weather conditions the UK can throw at them. They fish round the clock to bring home cod, haddock, plaice, lemon sole, turbot, Dover sole, monk fish, squid, red mullet. The fishermen are highly trained and spend up to 48 hours at a time wrestling not only the sea but the EU quotas and regulations that now strictly control the size and type of fish that can be landed. “
Fish brought in by the trawlers are sold at dawn in the fish auction. If you want the best, head for Whitby Catch where you can buy sea fresh, glistening beauties from an iced counter - everything from spider crabs to succulent brill, ghostly squid and romantic oysters.
As well as having the best fish in the north of England, Whitby has one of the best chefs. Rob Green is a local treasure whose award winning restaurant Greens is a rising star in the Michelin Guide. Rob, a tousle haired, enthusiast of local seasonal food supports the local fishing industry and is all too aware of the dire state of the dwindling fish stocks. He told me “I am keen to place sustainable fish like pollock, gurnard and whiting on the menu” which he does in the most delicious ways you will probably ever eat. He is also a keen supporter of the Whitby & District Fishing Industry Training School, the only place in the country that trains fishermen.
Rob’s tips for cooking fish
- Buy fresh from a fishmonger. Supermarket fish is often several days old by the time it is sold. There are also some excellent online/mail order companies that deliver quickly.
- If you are cooking fish for a crowd, cook a whole fish such as sea bass, sea trout or even a large piece of halibut or turbot on the bone.
- Serve fish with a simple sauce such as salsa verde or my quick hollandaise.
- Use sustainable fish like Pollock, whiting, mackerel, Dover sole, spider crab and oysters when you can.
Whitby queen scallops with Parma ham, pesto and parmesan
Serves 4
A very simple recipe that relies on the freshness of the small sweet queen scallops
- 32 queen scallops – these are the very small ones.
- 2 slices Parma ham, thinly sliced
- 25g fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
- 200ml of fresh pesto - preferably homemade
- 4 scallop shells
Pre heat the grill
Place 8 scallops in each shell and place the four shells on a baking tray. Sprinkle a few strands of chopped Parma ham over the scallops followed by a dribble of pesto and a dusting of Parmesan cheese. Place the scallops under a hot grill for two minutes or until the ham is crisp and the cheese has melted. Serve with sprigs of chervil and freshly squeezed lemon.
Wild Whitby sea bass fillets with sauted potatoes and olives, braised fennel and sauce vierge
Serves 4
Try to use wild bass rather than farmed if possible the taste is by far superior
- 4 sea bass fillets, scaled, pin boned and seasoned with salt and black pepper
- 1 bulb of fennel, sliced
- 500ml vegetable stock
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 25g butter
- 10 new potatoes, cooked and sliced
- 20 black olives, halved
- 1 tomato skinned, deseeded and chopped into small dice
- 200ml virgin olive oil
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- A few fresh basil leaves
Place the sliced fennel into an oven proof dish, season and add enough stock to cover. Place in a hot oven (200C) for 15-20mins or until soft. Keep warm.
Add 2.5 tablespoons of olive oil to a frying pan and add half of the butter. Heat gently until it until it starts to foam. Add the sliced potatoes and cook until golden brown. Add 10 of the olives and keep warm.
For the sauce vierge
In a mixing bowl add the virgin oil, tomato dice, the remaining olives (chopped finely), the lemon juice and a few torn basil leaves.
Heat with the remaining oil and butter in a large frying pan, when it starts to foam add the seasoned fillets of fish, skin side down. Cook for 4-5 minutes depending on the thickness and turn over and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
To serve
Place a few of the sautéed potatoes and olives in the centre of a warmed plate followed by some braised fennel. Finish by laying the sea bass on top and drizzle the sauce vierge over the fish and around the plate.
Rob’s Quick Hollandaise sauce
This is great with all fresh fish and of course English asparagus which will be with us very shortly
- 225g unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 organic egg yolks
- Juice 1 lemon
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- Pinch of sea salt
Clarify the butter by heating gently in a pan until the solids fall to the bottom. Pour off the clear butter and discard the solids. Half fill a pan with water and bring to a simmer. Place a stainless steel bowl over the pan and pour in 2 tablespoons of water, add the egg yolks and whisk until pale and creamy. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the butter a little at a time, as if making mayonnaise. Add the lemon juice, cayenne pepper and salt to taste. Hollandaise is best used straight away but can be kept in a warm place for up to 2 hours if covered.
Salsa verde
Salsa verde is a wonderful alternative to pesto. It goes well with potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, pasta and meaty fish such as monk fish, salmon and sea bass. Either coat the fish with it and bake in the oven or serve it cold as an accompaniment. Once made up – store in the fridge for up to a week.
- 80g bunch flat leaf parsley, remove stalks
- 10 basil leaves
- 15 mint leaves
- 1 tbsp smooth Dijon mustard
- 6 anchovy fillets
- 1 tbsp capers, drained
- 2 garlic cloves
- 150 ml extra virgin olive oil
Place all the ingredients apart from the olive oil into a liquidiser. Process for a few seconds. Scrape down the sides of the goblet. Then with the motor running add the rest of the olive oil in a stream, as if you were making mayonnaise. When you have added all of the oil the sauce should look like a thick green mayonnaise.