Methods of Cooking

Most fish is either poached, fried, grilled or steamed. It is never boiled.

Poaching

This, in effect, means simmering a fish in a stock or court bouillon that does not boil. Even shellfish, such as lobster and crab, are only brought to the boil and then allowed to cook in hot water.

Frying

Small, whole fish, such as trout or perch, are best shallow fried in butter. Deep frying is only suitable for battered fish.

Steaming

The fish is laid on a buttered and covered dish and then placed over a simmering pan of water, a method much favoured by oriental cooks. Another version requires the pan, over which the fish is placed, to have perforations to allow steam through to cook directly.

Grilling 

The golden rule for grilling is: always turn on the grill well in advance of the cooking time. The outer skin of the fish should be sealed quickly, thus allowing the flesh to cook from the inside.

Barbecuing 

Apart from the freshness of the fish, the important point about barbecuing is the technique itself. Ideally I would encourage you to build a sympathetic stone barbecue on the terrace but no doubt either the skills of the advertising industry or the lack of space will have resulted in a visit to your nearest garden centre. Your barbecue must be robust and substantial and capable of giving out sustained and intense heat. As well as the barbecue itself, you will need a fish-shaped grip for fish and a couple of sandwich grips able to take 10 sardines at a time.

If you can add some aromatic wood, such as vine twigs, roots or pine-cones, to your charcoal, then so much the better. Remember, do not start to cook until all the flames have gone and the embers are glowing red hot. Brush the fish in the grilling oil and shake off any excess - dripping oil causes flames that burn the fish rather than cook it. From time to time during the grilling, sprinkle herbs, such as rosemary and thyme, on to the embers.

Small whole fish lend themselves well to barbecuing, especially for mullet and sardines, as well as octopus, langoustines, large prawns, anchovies, herrings, mackerel, tuna steaks, sprats, trout, pilchards and perch. Always remove all fins and scales from the fish, but never the skin- the crispy burnt skin is part of the joy of charcoal grilling and it protects the flesh from drying out. There is nothing worse than overcooked fish.