Fish Robata

When chefs and home cooks know their fish, this should be applauded; the best option is MSC-certified wild fish, which gives you the reassurance that stocks are well managed and fishing methods assessed to be sustainable with minimal impact on the environment. There are many smaller, well-managed fisheries who have the know-how and skills, built over decades, to fish without harming the bio-diversity of the sea.

Talk to your fishmonger about seasonality to ensure you choose species when they are at their best. I cannot emphasize enough the pleasure of going to your local fish market (aside from the 4am start); this is how you get to know which fish are in season, which traders have the best quality, when to buy and how much to pay. I have had the pleasure of being associated with London’s famous Billingsgate Fish Market, both as a tenant and a teacher at the superb Seafood School, for over a decade, and I struggle to find better quality anywhere in London.