Cook From The Book: Rick Stein Fish & Shellfish

Each week Her.ie will look at a new cook book, giving you the inside scoop whether the recipes cut the mustard. From health kicks, to wholesome foods, we find out what books offer the best insights for budding cooks!

This week:  Rick Stein Fish & Shellfish

Rick Stein has had a career in perfecting the art of seafood cooking, and with his updated and revised edition of his cookery classic Fish & Shellfish, Rick shares his skill and passion that has led the way in building a reputation for his award-winning restaurants.

Stein’s updated guide is broken into three sections – technique, seafood families and more than 100 recipes including step-by-step instructions on preparing seafood from dishes for white fish, flatfish and shellfish to using stocks and fish-based sauces.

Fish & Shellfish introduced the reader to the equipment required and the skills in selecting and buying fish before identifying unique preparation and serving suggestions flavoured from cooking across different continents.

This cook book is unique in that each action, cut and method of preparing the fish is broken down into a series of photographic instructions. The simple instructions are illustrated and alleviate the confusion or concerns in making a dish but destroying a quality fillet.

As well as the obvious choices of mussels or fish pie for meals, there are spicier and more interesting choices to attempt such as monkfish vindaloo, or grey mullet soup with pink fir apple potatoes.

Although the recipes are original and offer a real variety to sometimes a bland food-group, there is a refreshing reliance on ordinary ingredients that will be sitting in your press or fridge already.

The book is beautifully illustrated with a range of images, and the method is carefully broken down to be easily digested. Stein also includes a little personal footnote with each recipe which adds a nice personal touch to the chef making their way through the cookbook.

If you enjoy eating fish, or are looking at a way of introducing it into your diet on a more regular basis, this book provides you with the skills and insight into enough dishes that you’re bound to find one to suit your taste.

As a novice chef when it comes to seafood, the recipes do appear somewhat daunting. Although the book is clear and concise, offering step-by-step guides, we might advise this for people who are more experienced with fish than just adding a fillet to a baking tray before walking away from the oven.

Unless you’re a dab hand with an octopus… no really.