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Welcome to the second Fish Tales newsletter from A Passion for Seafood

In this edition, I carry on my herring journey down to Hastings in East Sussex for the Hastings Herring Fair with my good friend and fishy colleague CJ Jackson from the Billingsgate Seafood School. This very traditional and seasonal celebration of the sea, was a great opportunity to get people to focus on how herring have shaped our coastline, how versatile they are, how nutritious and how simple to prepare and cook. I’m delighted to say we had a packed full house at each of our demos and some lovely people questioning and tasting.

Since the last newsletter, I’ve also attended the National Lobster Hatchery’s Patrons’ Lunch down in Port Isaac at Nathan Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen. The NLH is a very important conservation charity to me and I’m proud to be a Patron and Ambassador. More on the Hatchery in future newsletters

Finally, as some of you might have heard, I spent a hugely enjoyable afternoon on the ‘Sofa’ with BBC Radio Suffolk afternoon host Lesley Dolphin, who chatted to me about my life in seafood and my seafood adventures around our coasts.

There will be another newsletter coming before Christmas, where I’ll entice you with a selection of my fave festive seafare! Recipes, tips and ideas for snacks, canapés and hearty suppers.

Till then

Mike

Fish Of the Month

Cornish plaice - this well known and very identifiable flatfish, is in peak condition in the South West right now. Choose firm meaty fish where the spots are bright and radiantly colourful, ideal for cooking as fillets or whole on the bone. With a sweet and distinctive flavour, plaice are very good value as well.

Plaice are caught all around the UK, but they spawn and come into peak condition at differing times. In Cornwall they are ‘righton’ right now and landed into Newlyn or Plymouth markets.

Plaice are ‘demersal’ or bottom-dwelling flatfish and are caught by beam trawl, otter trawl or set gill and trammel nets.

Wed, Nov 27

The Hastings Herring Fair

As part of my role as a Seafish Ambassador, I make a point of visiting seafood festivals and food events around the UK where (a) there is great story to be told and (b) I’m going to reach a receptive

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Down in Port Isaac on the rugged wave-lashed and entirely beautiful North Cornish Coast, I met up with my fellow National Lobster Hatchery Patrons for our annual lunch, which was very generously hosted by local seafood restaurateur and thrice Michelin-starred Chef Nathan Outlaw.

I know Nathan pretty well and have eaten at his restaurants in Cornwall and London and he exemplifies all that is best about about cooking with seasonal native fish and shellfish. He knows the fishermen here well, he is very aware of their circumstances, their catch and their issues and has built a very understanding relationship with them. He also uses my friend and first class Port Isaac fishmonger, George Cleave, to supply him with a variety of other local fish, from Newlyn Market. I was lucky enough to be on the market with George the day before our lunch and to witness him purchase some superb plaice, mackerel and ling which ended up being expertly crafted into some irresistible dishes by Nathan’s Head Chef at the ‘Fish Kitchen’ - Tim Barnes.

Anyway, without further ado, here’s what we had ;-)

NLH photo credits - Clare Stanley

Radio Suffolk appearance!

You can click on the button below to hear my interview with Lesley Dolphin, on her BBC Radio Suffolk afternoon show, ‘On the Sofa’ slot. A really enjoyable hour talking about my Passion for Seafood. The interview is 2 hrs in :-)