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We live on an island with ample stocks of fresh fish, which is available, at a relatively low cost. Personal selection is very much the most desirable way of getting what you want .

The following points are what to look for :-

When buying fish, remember its size in relation to the utensils in which you are going to cook it. With a large fish, it may have to divided, and either steamed or baked in a covered casserole. Many varieties of frozen fish can be purchased throughout the year. It is not necessary in all cases to thaw the fish before cooking but the directions on the packet regarding preparation and cooling should be carefully followed.

Fish is divided into three main groups:

1.	Sea Fish	(a) White or deep sea fish.
		(b) Oily or surface fish.
2.	Fresh water fish
3.	Shellfish.

There are over fifty kinds of fish on the market at one time of the year, the list below gives the most likely to be obtainable at the average-sized fishmonger's.

Fish	Type	Cooking Instructions	Season
Bloaters		Grill
Bream	White	Grill bake or steam	July - December
Brill		Boiled or steamed
Carp	Freshwater	Grill bake or fry when old	All year round best October - February
Cockles	Shellfish
Cod	White	Fried, boiled or steamed	All year round best October -March
Crabs	Shell Fish	sold cooked	May August
Crawfish	Shellfish
Crayfish	Shellfish
Dog fish or Huss	White	Bake or Fry	September - May
Eel	Freshwater	Stew or make into jelly	September - May
Flounders	White	Fried or grilled	November - March
Haddock	White	All methods	October - February
Haddock	Smoked	Bake steam poach	All year round
Hake	White	Baked or fried	June - January
Halibut	White	Boiled - baked or steamed	July - April
Herrings	Oily	Baked or grilled	All year round British season June - February
Herrings	Smoked	Grill, fry - Kippers ( boil )	All year round
Ling		Baked or fried
Lobsters	Shellfish	Sold cooked	February - October
Mackerel	Oily	Steamed or grilled	March - July
Mullet	Oily	Bake or grill	April- October
Mussels	Shellfish	uncooked	Season July - April best Aug. Sept., Oct., Nov.
Oysters	Shellfish	Raw or stewed	September - April
Perch	Freshwater	Fry or poach	May - February
Plaice	White	Grill - fried or steamed	late May - December
Prawns	Shellfish	Sold boiled - serve cold
Scallops	Shellfish	Fry, bake or poach	Best from December - March.
Scampi	Shellfish	sold boiled - serve cold
Salmon	Oily	Boiled or steamed	March - August
Salmon	Smoked	Serve as horsd' oeuvre	All year round
Shrimps	Shellfish	Serve hot or cold	February - October
Skate	White	Steamed or fried	November - May
Smelts		Fried
Sole	White	Bake, fry, poach, steam, grill	All year round
Sprats	Oily	Grilled	October - March
Sprats	Smoked	Grill or fry	All year round
Trout	Freshwater	Fried or grilled	April - September
Turbot	White	Steamed or baked	April - early September
Whelks	Shellfish
Whitebait	Oily	Fried	May - August
Whiting	smoked	Bake - Fry	All year round

BEST METHODS OF COOKING FISH

Fish is perhaps at its very best when gently cooked in a casserole,combined with other things. The general principles of cooking meat, also apply to fish, bear in mind that fish is much more tender in fibre, and therefore more quickly cooked; it breaks apart more easily and requires careful handling.

Poach - Small fresh white fish - fillets. Smoked, dried and salt whitefish .

In a shallow pan, place the fish and strain in enough stock to just cover the fish. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer gently. Cook according to the thickness of the fish until the fish comes easily from the bone, approx. 10 - 15 minutes. Serve with a sauce made from the stock.

Boil - Smoked, Salt and dried fish .

If the fish is to be cooked whole use a large enough pan to take the fish, lower the fish into the water in muslin or foil which can easily be removed when cooked. Use just enough boiling water to cover the fish as it is apt to break up and become tasteless. To each litre add 1 tablespoon of vinegar. 2 teaspoons salt and a few peppercorns. simmer for 7 - 10 minutes per 500 grams. Lift out, and drain well. Serve with a sauce .

Steam - Fresh white fish, herrings, salmon.

Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper, a little lemon juice may be added. Place in steamer, or small pieces can be cooked on a greased plate covered with a second plate or lid. Steamed fish requires 10 - 15 minutes per 500 grams . Serve with a sauce.

Sauce - To a white sauce made of butter or margarine, flour and milk, add any of the following according to taste: Grated cheese, chopped hard-boiled egg, tomatoes (skinned and pounded), shrimps, brown capers, parsley, chopped cucumber, chopped olives, anchovies, beetroot, mushrooms, gherkins.

Bake - Moderate size cutlets or whole fish, herrings, kippers .

Fish may be baked with or without stuffing. Place in a well greased baking tin. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice and add a little fat or milk. Wine or sauce is sometimes used to moisten the dish before it is sprinkled with grated cheese, finely chopped onion or mushroom and then covered with fine bread crumbs and sprinkled with butter.
Bake allowing 20 - 25 minutes per 500g. A sauce is optional

Grill - All fresh white fish, whole, filleted or in cutlets. Oily fish except whitebait.
Pre-heat the grill - 5 minutes.
Small whole fish should be cut across to allow the heat to penetrate. Place in position on the grill pan and brush with oil or melted fat. Place pan in position under hot grill and cook according to thickness for 5 - 10 minutes before turning. Brush the second side with oil or melted fat and cook as before.
It may be necessary to reduce the heat of the grill when cooking thicker cuts of fish. Fish such as kippers can be grilled in foil, to prevent smell during cooking.

Fry - All fresh white or oily fish.

Fish can be either shallow or deep fried, shallow frying is better adapted to the thicker slices of fish which require longer for the heat to penetrate, it is also better for oily fish. Deep frying is suitable for small pieces or small whole fish, and fillets .

The real fish connoisseur is apt to frown on any method of cooking "sea food " other than steaming or grilling, however the popularity of " fried fish and chips " is renowned . Fish should be coated before it is fried as this protects the outside and prevents the fat from soaking into the fish, try the following coatings :-

Freshwater Fish

Freshwater fish should not be boiled, it is best poached in fish stock, baked, stewed or fried. Many are greatly improved by a well flavoured stuffing or a sauce

CLEANING FISH

Wash fish lightly in cold water add a little salt and vinegar to the water if the fish is to be boiled. Scales come off a wet fish easier than a dry one, lay the fish on a cutting or chopping board. Grasp the fish firmly with one hand by the head, with a saw-toothed knife or scaler, scrape off the scales, working from the tail towards the base of the fins and the head. Now cut a slit in the fish's belly, from head to the vent (anal opening) and remove the entrails. Cut off the head, including the pectoral fins, by cutting above the collarbone. If the backbone is large, cut down to it on each side of the fish. Snap the backbone by bending the head over the cutting board or table. Now cut off the head and tail. Remove the fins by cutting into the flesh on both sides of the fish at the base of the fins.Then the fin and fin bones can be pulled out easily. Never trim the fins off with shears or a knife since the bones at the base will be left in the fish. Wash the fish in cold running water to remove blood and all remaining scales, viscera, and membranes, clean with a damp cloth and dry .Dried or salt white fish should be soaked in cold water for twelve hours before cooking. Most fresh water fish is improved by being soaked for two or three hours after cleaning , in well salted water to which 2 spoons of vinegar have been added.

To remove skin from fish, place it for a minute under the grill, when the skin will detach easily. Squeeze half a lemon over white fish to improve flavour.

HOW TO CARVE FISH

The carving of fish should never be done with a steel knife; silver or E.P.N.S. is the correct thing to use, because the delicate flavour of fish can be impaired by steel.With the exception of salmon, all fish is carved first from the top, length ways, then the backbone is removed and the lower part is served. The finest cuts are those in the "shoulder" and towards the head. Care should be taken not to let the flakes of fish fall apart and every effort should be made to serve portions whole, and not broken.

Salmon Carving
Salmon is carved across the backbone, in thick slices, first from the top, then the bottom. It is usual to give each person a cut from the thick top and a smaller piece from the belly where the flesh is thin but which contains the fat.

SHELL FISH

It is most important when buying shell fish to make certain that it is fresh. Some are available all the year round, while others are best bought when in season.

PREPARATION AND SERVING

Shell fish is sold either alive or ready boiled. If alive, crabs, crayfish and lobsters should have the large feelers tied, handle them by the backs and quickly turn them over. Before cooking place in a bucket of cold water with a little salt. Cook in a large pan of fast boiling salted water, place the fish in quickly and replace the lid. A large lobster or crab should boil for 30 - 40 minutes. A small lobster, crab, or crayfish for about 30 minutes. Serve when cold.

Crab
Separate the body from the shell. Take out the cream meat and mix with mayonnaise or bread crumbs, seasoning and vinegar. Remove and discard the stomach bag, the fingers and the greenish intestines which are inedible. Pack the scrubbed crab shell with the chopped white crab meat taken from the claws, body and legs. Garnish with parsley and serve with a mixed green salad with or without a mayonnaise dressing.

Crawfish and Crayfish
Twist off the large and small claws and tap the shell, taking care not to smash it . Split the tail down the centre with a sharp knife. Discard the gills, the stringy thread from the edge of the shell, and the stomach which is near the head. Serve the fish on a bed of lettuce with the head in the centre and the tail and claws arranged around it. Serve with a salad with oil and vinegar dressing and slices of brown bread and butter.

Cockles, Mussels and Whelks
If uncooked they should be well washed in water and the shells scrubbed. Any that float should be thrown away. When clean put into a small quantity of water in a pan with a tight fitting lid. Boil for a few minutes giving the pan an occasional shake. The mussels are ready as soon as the shells open. Remove the little black weed part with scissors.

Oysters
Oysters deteriorate very quickly after opening, they should be kept very cold and the shells well washed before being sent to the table. Serve on chipped ice. Open them just before they are to be eaten. Place on a board with the flat shell uppermost. Hold with a cloth, and nip off a portion of the edge of the shell with a pair of pliers, enough to allow the entry of a knife.
Wipe away all loose pieces of shell, insert the knife and cut all around the rounded (bottom) shell to free the oyster without damage, then gently prise open. The beard or frill is harmless but is usually removed the liver is the soft pan, large in proportion to the amount of flesh and has a very fine flavour, the mussel is firmer and more difficult to digest.

Oysters are usually eaten uncooked, cooking tends to harden the fibres and make them more difficult to digest. sauce oysters which are less expensive are usually bought for cooking.

Prawns, Shrimps and Scampi - Are usually sold boiled, shell them carefully before serving. Scampi are often coated in egg and crumbs or batter and deep fried. They can be served cold in salads and hors d'oeuvre or hot baked or poached in sauces.

Scallops They are sold already opened. fry, bake or poach .

SEAFOOD IS GOOD FOR YOU

Experts at the British Nutrition Foundation say we should be eating at least two portions of seafood every week, at least one of which should be oil-rich. Seafood is good for every part of your body -

Oil-rich fish contains Omega 3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat that has a lowering effect on blood cholesterol levels. Omega 3 protects the heart and circulation and can reduce the risk of heart disease.

Vitamin E, an antioxidant found in shellfish, aids the formation and use of red blood cells.

Seafood is packed with protein, essential for the growth and maintenance of muscles and body tissues.

Oil-rich fish has lots of vitamin D, necessary for strong bones and teeth.

Omega 3 in oil-rich fish can ease the symptoms of arthritis.

Shellfish has vitamin F, which helps towards the development of muscles.

Seafood could be good for your love life! The high amount of zinc found in shellfish, especially oysters, is reputed to act as an aphrodisiac.

All seafood contains vitamin B6 which helps build up healthy nerve tissues essential for the brain to communicate to the rest of the body.

Omega 3 in oil-rich fish is particularly important in the development of babies brains.

omega 3 oils, found in oil-rich fish, have been shown to protect the retina - the light sensitive part of the eye - which is important during babies development.

Oil-rich fish also contains iodine, essential for producing thyroxine, which regulates the body's metabolism