I wish we could all seek out and support a fishmonger. Fish is very good for us, highly nutritious, low in fat, and, best of all, it is absolutely delicious and quick and easy to cook.
Many people don’t realize just how immensely varied fish is in its flavours and textures. Even within the large cod family, for example, there is a difference between cod and haddock. Whiting, of the same family, is delicate, and, although liable to break up easily, is invaluable as a basis for mousses and terrines. Monkfish is dense in texture with a sweet flavour. Mackerel, herring, tuna and other oily fish can take strongly flavoured accompaniments, such as the gooseberry sauce traditionally served with mackerel, the Mediterranean flavours of garlic and tomatoes, or the oriental tones of ginger, soy sauce and sesame oil. As well as all these familiar fish and the whole range of smoked fish, shellfish and freshwater fish, there are new fish coming into our shops all the time, such as the brightly coloured tropical fish from the Seychelles, the cod-like hoki from New Zealand and those from more northern waters, like the Arctic char and the zander or pike-perch with its sweet, firm, white flesh.