Last updated: 1 July, 2024 @ 16:16
Great gurnards may well sound like a line from a 1960s Carry On film, but the words also apply to a wonderful, and often over-looked fish that’s ideal for a quick, one-pot dish.
There are a few species of gurnard living in UK waters, but the most common you’ll likely to encounter at your fishmonger is the red gurnard, tub gurnard, and the occasional grey gurnard.
Admittedly, they’re a strange looking bunch – but I find them weirdly beautiful, especially when super fresh.
They’re also easy to prepare – and should you wish to set about filleting yours then this clip from Duncan at from Passionate About Fish should prove pretty useful.
One-pot wonders
However, there’s a couple of great dishes where there’s no real need to get your hands too dirty, or mess about with any filleting.
This Pot Roasted Gurnard dish from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is a fantastic winter warmer that’s quick, easy and looks impressive when served.
More importantly, it tastes wonderful – the gelatinous juices from the gurnard absorbed by the beautiful array of thirsty, seasonal winter vegetables.
Laurence Hartwell’s tub gurnard
Meanwhile, Tub Gurnard Baked in Sea Salt, by Cornwall industry legend and all-round great chap Laurence Hartwell is ideal for warmer days.
If you somehow haven’t yet discovered Laurence’s blog, Through The Gaps, then you should probably click this link immediately to check it out.
Laurence heads down to Newlyn market most mornings to photograph the day’s catch before uploading the images to his blog.
So, if you want to know what a fresh fish should really look like then I advise to go and take a look.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Laurence recently for the commercial fishing industry newspaper Fishing News, you can read that article here.