Seafood

If I was ever marooned on a desert island, I’d just have to hope that it was in clean, unpolluted waters and I had landed with a fishing rod. Somewhere like Pulau Perhentian Besar on Malaysia’s north-east coast, where I spent four days camping back in 1986. Maybe some fresh limes or lemons would help too, but no need for a fire as a good slab of sashimi would be a treat. I’d find it really hard to get through life without seafood of any kind — it’s simple to prepare and cook and the flavour of almost everything from our oceans is terrific. I also love it because it’s one of the most pleasing ingredients to cook at home or in a restaurant, whether it be a spankingly fresh wild sea trout, a snapping langoustine or a bowl full of baby squid. However, it’s hard not to become increasingly worried about over-fishing and sustainability. It’s amazing to think that despite 70 percent of the Earth’s surface being covered with water, there are increasing problems regarding continued availability. So shop wisely, buy only the freshest and try to keep an eye on what is currently a viable resource.