Submitted by LavenderandLovage

You cannot beat a classic Moules Marinière, but now and then a jazzed up version makes a great change of pace ~ enter a French version called Mouclade. Just add a couple of teaspoons of Madras curry powder to the steamed mussels with some crème fraîche for a moules dish with a twist.

Submitted by LavenderandLovage

After cooking and peeling prawns, don’t throw the shells away! Pop the prawn shells into a large stock pot with one chopped onion, 2 bay leaves, one lemon cut into quarters, 5 black pepper corns, a bunch of parsley, 250 ml white wine and 750ml water. Bring to the boil slowly and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Put to one side to cool and then strain the liquid through a sieve into a bowl or jug. You will be left with an amazing seafood stock which can be used as a base for soups, fish stews, fish curries and fish pies.

Submitted by LavenderandLovage

Many recipes for fish, smoked fish in particular, call for the fish to be poached with a bay leaf in milk before adding the poached fish to certain recipes. If the milk is not required straight away, pour it into a zip-lock bag or plastic container and freeze it for up to 2 months; it makes the most delicious base for a white sauce in a fish pie, or as a base for a creamy fish soup or chowder.

Submitted by Seafish

• White fish and salmon:
• White fish and salmon are fully cooked when they lose their translucent appearance and turn opaque. The flesh should flake easily when you test it with a fork.
• Prawns:
• Prawns are cooked when they turn pink, are firm to the touch and their insides have changed from translucent to opaque. Prawns that are bought pink already have been cooked and only need to be heated through.
• Lemon sole:
• Lemon sole is cooked when the flesh has turned opaque and, when the fish is pierced in the main fleshy part of the body, any juices run clear.
• Mackerel:
• To check if mackerel is cooked, cut into the thickest part of the fish – the flesh should appear just opaque but still be moist.

Submitted by Seafish

• Kids love to eat what they’ve cooked for themselves, so get them involved when you’re making fish fingers or fishcakes – it’s a great way to encourage them to eat more healthy fish.

Submitted by Seafish

• For a portion of fish 2cm thick, allow 4-5 minutes per side when pan-frying, griddling, grilling, barbecuing, baking or roasting. For a 3cm width, make it 8-10 minutes per side. If the fish is on the bone, add an extra 2-3 minutes per side.

Submitted by Seafish

• You’ve probably got most of what you need already in your kitchen! Store-cupboard staples that go well with seafood are white wine, butter, parsley, curry paste and, of course, salt and black and white pepper. Fish seasoning, found in the herb and spices isle at the supermarket, can be sprinkled on top of your favourite fish dishes when cooking.
• Check out the ready-prepared sauces in your supermarket, too – many of the ones recommended for chicken will taste even better with seafood.
• Try using canned anchovies instead of salt for seasoning seafood dishes: they melt when they heat up in a sauce and give it a lovely richness, without overpowering the flavours of the other fish. If you need a finer purée, crush the anchovies in a garlic press.
• Make it fancy without the faff! Spread fillets of flat whitefish with chutney, marmalade or apple sauce, roll them up and cook.
• Shake on the sesame seeds! Toast them first, then brush tuna steaks with soy sauce and a little oil before coating them with the toasted seeds and pan-frying.

Submitted by Seafish

• There’s nothing tastier than barbecued whole fish or fillets – delicious and healthy!
• Throw a whole mackerel (or two) on the barbie – it’s chunky, succulent and great value for money. And don’t just stick to summer – what’s stopping you bringing back a taste of summer in the autumn? Mackerel is in season right up until the end of September. Fire up the barbecue then as well.
• Flat skewers will stop the ingredients twisting round when you turn them, so that everything cooks evenly. Another great practical tip is to start and finish seafood kebabs with something firm, such as a piece of onion, to help hold the other ingredients in place.

Submitted by Seafish

• Coat the fish in batter or breadcrumbs, to protect the flesh and stop it from absorbing too much fat. Batter protects the fish and locks in the flavour and moisture, while breadcrumbs provide a crunchy texture but aren’t as protective of the flesh. Heat the oil to 180-190 ̊C / 350-375 ̊F and cook the fish for 4-6 minutes, until the coating is golden brown. Blot off the excess oil on kitchen paper before serving.
• Oil-rich fish doesn’t deep fry particularly well, so it’s best kept for other methods of cooking.

Submitted by Seafish

• Always remember to cover the seafood with a lid or microwaveable food wrap and, to get even cooking, arrange the thickest parts of the fish towards the edges of the dish; fold the tail pieces underneath. At the ping, remove from the microwave, season and add around two tablespoons of liquid (water or white wine work well for this). Leave to stand for around 2-3 minutes before serving.