VARIETY AND THE SPICE OF LIFE
AS A NEW YEAR BEGINS WE TAP IN TO EXPERT ADVICE ABOUT WHAT 2008 HOLDS FOR ALTERNATIVE SPECIES
OF FISH...
The role of the TV chef as pundit for the future is now quite well established. Think back just 20 years ago and the appearance of the bell pepper in dishes by the likes of Keith Floyd was a first - and just 10 years after that the pepper was in popular use (and some would say passé).
Other goods followed like Balsamic vinegar followed a similar growth, first the TV intro then an appearance in retail and foodservice.
But what price on TV chefs spurring on the Great British Consumer to try newer species of fish when popping out for a portion of Fish & Chips?
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall certainly thinks there's a good one. In his current Channel 4 series River Cottage Gone Fishing he lands a load of locally-caught Pollack, prepares and sells it at a Fish & Chip shop in Western Scotland - and the customers seemed to take to it well.
Hugh is well aware that if the customer can be lured toward other species then it will much ease the growing pressure regards sustainability.
"I think the single most important step we can take to ensure a positive future is to increase the range of fish we eat," he tells us. "We need to take the pressure off species such as cod, salmon and prawns - species which are decimated in the wild and causing environmental havoc in farms - by exploring the huge number of delicious, sustainable alternatives."
Hugh's concern for suatainabilbility runs deep for he's a big fan of fish, saying: "I love all sorts of fish and shellfish and I eat fishy meals several times a week. My choice on any one day is influenced by many factors: what I've managed to catch myself, what's on my local fishmonger's slab, what's in season. I can't single out one favourite, but I can tell you about some of the British-caught fish I enjoy regularly that I think are terribly underrated in general: black bream, grey mullet, megrim and witch all spring to mind.
"In addition, I'd have to concede that my fish repertoire would suffer somewhat if I couldn't get hold of any Pollack - smoked or fresh - and life would be considerably less bearable without regular helpings of local rope-grown mussels and the delectably sweet spider crab."
According to Hugh we can all play a big part in recovery of fish stocks:
"We need to inform ourselves about the fish we like to eat: are stocks healthy? What methods are used to catch it? When is its spawning season? How big should it be at maturity?
"We need to find alternatives to threatened fish - pollack instead of cod, mackerel instead of tuna, or choose fish certified by the Marine Stewardship Council as being sustainably caught."
Meanwhile, the 2008 newer species stakes is off to a flyer with suppliers like 3G Foodservices (perhaps better known in the frying trade as Smales) leading the field with a series of new introductions. Smales counts many hundreds of Fish & Chip shops and restaurants among its foodservice customers and is noticing an increased interest all round in newer and sometimes exotic species.
It has recently added a huge dose of colour to its range though offering warm water round fish with Whole Strawberry Grouper, Pink Bream and Red Mullet - all scaled and gutted.
According to MD Ben Smales warm water species have a great deal to offer. "Using warm water fish on 'specials boards' builds a perception of variety and creativity in the outlet and is a great way to try new menu or recipe ideas without the restriction of printed menus. It also tempts customers into trying new fish or seafood that they might not otherwise have chosen.
"Many warm water fish are available throughout the year as farmed products at prices that enable a wider variety of outlets to regularly include them in their menus."
But 3G isn't limiting new introductions to exotics. Other new listings include Whole Farmed Sea Bass and Gilt Head Bream butterfly cut, Farmed Sea Bass Fillet scaled and pinboned, Farmed Gilt Head Bream Fillet skinned and boned and Whole Red Snapper scaled and gutted. All fish in this range can be purchased by the kilo or in individual portions.
"In the current range we have over 100 species of fish," says Ben Smales, "and if there's a particular species that our customers want, that isn't in our range, then we'll rise to the challenge and source it!"
So with such obliging suppliers on hand and backing from TV chefs urging customers to be a bit more adventurous 2008 looks increasingly promising.
Also, optimistic - yet without being carried away - is the Head of Environment at Seafish, Phil McMullen. Asked what's likely to happen in 2008 he sees change ahead, though at a slow pace.
"It's all down to supply, demand and people's tastes and preferences and I don't see a great deal of change in the later," he says. "I Britain people will continue pretty much to prefer white, chunky fish."
"If people are looking to offer Cod substitutes in Fish and Chip shops tough then perhaps the best bet is with Pollack and Coley. Just as our British Pollack is highly prized in France and can fetch as much as Cod so too can Coley in Norway. Both species are good tasting fish that are very suitable for battering and frying.
"And supplies are good too. With Alaskan Pollack in particular quotas are very high and there's no problem there."
One trend that McMullen sees speeding up in 2008 though is the more concerned consumer. "We're already seeing a more enquiring consumer out there, somebody who is concerned about sustainability and where his fish comes from. Though most people just pop out for a quick and cheap meal at the Fish & Chip shop there's a growing amount of customers asking questions.
"And this in itself is no bad thing. Being the shop owner known for being able to answer those questions means an opportunity to the good."
He may eat nettles and creepy crawlies but on fish and sustainability Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is rather sound - and Pollack is his choice for an alternative to Cod in Fish & Chip shops
