I know I’m lucky. Living in Poole I have some great options when it come to fresh fish near me. But you know sometimes, I walk into my local fishmongers and just don’t know what to buy.
I’m always there first thing, when the slab is at its very best, the fish stiff fresh, their eyes glistening. I’ve got to know that early morning routine. The crabman will rock up, drop off his haul, tell a dirty joke and then leave. Then there’s the Frenchman with wild hair, who always asks the price of Lobster but never buys one. In fact, I’m not sure if he buys anything.
Disco fish
Anyway, because everything on the slab looks and smells so fresh, choosing what to buy is normally very difficult. However, last weekend I had no such problem.
They stood out immediately. The fish were that fresh their pectoral fins were raised, saluting as if attempting to get my attention. If that was their aim, it worked. Their skin was immaculate, sparkling and shining as if placed under an extravagant disco ball. Simply put, they were the most beautiful fish I’d ever seen.
Do you want to know the most amazing part? The fish in question were Gilthead Bream.
Now, in the past I’ve been a little harsh on the Gilthead Bream. In fact, I think I called them fat and lazy. However, that was before I’d discovered wild, locally caught Gilthead Bream.
These fish were like a different species. Don’t get me wrong, farmed Giltheads are perfectly good to eat and at one stage, they were my favourite fish – but wow, to see, cook and eat wild Gilthead Bream, fish landed at my local port, only a five-minute cycle-ride away, was a real treat.
Fresh fish near me – local treasure
These fish were special. They looked special. Even the ‘Gilt band’ of the Gilthead was a different colour. It was a softer gold, the kind of colour that a watercolourist would use to paint coins overflowing from an old treasure chest.
Forget the coins, I felt as if I’d struck gold by finding such beautiful fish.
Once home, I stuffed the fish with a little dill, seasoned them with a some Tajin (available at Amazon), gave them a splash of white wine and olive oil, stared at them for a while longer, and then laid the fish upon a grill over a bed of potatoes, tomatoes, and garlic. 8-10 minutes later they were done. It was perfection.
The lesson here is, shop and buy local my Fish Face friends and you’ll discover a different world of simply stunning produce.