Scampi

Once caught near Dublin, scampi are also known as Dublin Bay prawns, as well as by their French name, langoustines. The plump tails hold the fleshy edible part. Scampi are sold both raw and cooked and are best when served cold with a mayonnaise dressing. Most frozen scampi are already breadcrumbed, which rather limits the way you can cook and serve them.

How to cook better fish

• Fish cooks as quickly as tender cuts of meat and will spoil if the temperature is too fierce or the cooking time too long.
• Like meat, fish is best cooked on the bone, which makes grilled fish steaks or baked whole fish a real treat.
• Haddock, cod and plaice fillets will all taste better if their skins are first removed. Place fillets on a work surface skin side down. Dip your fingers in salt and grip the tail end. Using a sharp knife, slice under the flesh as close as possible to the skin. Hold tail of fish firmly, and with knife blade held horizontally, cut along the skin so the flesh comes away as cleanly as possible.
• Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the beaten egg for coating fish fillets to make the egg go further.
• Make your own toasted breadcrumbs for coating by placing biscottes or melba toast in a polythene bag and crushing finely with a rolling pin. These are a more attractive colour than the ones you buy.
• Use dry cider, which is as nice as white wine, for baking fish in the oven. Or try vermouth which has a delicious flavour. Dilute vermouth with an equal quantity of water and use some of the liquid to make the sauce.
• Very salty water is best for poaching whole fish – sea water is good too. Add 1 teaspoon salt to every 1 pint (600ml) water and use for cooking fresh salmon.
• White fish is ready when flesh loses that translucent look and becomes white or creamy.
• You can also tell it’s cooked when the flesh flakes, or falls easily into natural divisions, when pressed gently. Test near the bone for fish steaks.
• A squeeze of lemon juice over fried or grilled fish fillets or steaks brings out the flavour.
• For toppings or borders over and around cooked fish dishes, beat an egg yolk into mashed potato and you will find it browns beautifully under the grill.