Seafood Seasonal update - November 2017

Trending Now: It’s the time and the Plaice

“Scottish shellfish is really coming into its own now, with plenty of lobster available, though, like many chefs, I prefer brown crab,” says Gary Maclean, reigning MasterChef: The Professionals champion and senior chef lecturer at City of Glasgow College.

But his favourite winter fish is plaice, currently on the menu at Scholars public restaurant in the college campus.

“Plaice is a gorgeous looking specimen with orange spots on its back. It has a bigger flavour than Witch or Lemon sole which are also in season,” adds Maclean. “I like to skin it and cut through the bone to get a nice big double steak. Pan-fried and finished in the oven bone-in helps enhance the flavour even more. And you can’t go wrong with the classic caper and lemon butter to add a refreshing sharpness. Plaice is a delicious Scottish fish that is often overlooked.”

Scotland produces some of the world’s finest seafood from the cool clean waters of its deep lochs and surrounding seas. Take a look at what else is available from Scotland here

Meet the Skipper

In his creel boat Marie Bhan IV, Ewen Grant of Portree will spend November bringing in brown and velvet crab, lobster and langoustine from the waters around Skye. He’s been doing this since he was 12 and, now 61, says local demand for fresh shellfish is unprecedented in his lifetime.

“It used to be that Skye only had hotel restaurants and cafes, and the only seafood available was salmon, while all the local shellfish went straight to Spain. You couldn’t sell a prawn or a crab or a lobster locally,” he recalls. “Now with the arrival of good independent restaurants like Scorrybreac and Sea Breezes, and the increase in tourism on the island, that’s no longer the case. People now demand local seafood because they know it’s the best in the world. They queue up every Sunday to photograph us bringing in live shellfish.

“Seeing visitors enjoy our local seafood is a joy, and I’m happy that a growing percentage of my catch is staying on the island.”

CLICK HERE If you would like a copy of the Seafood Seasonal Guide for your kitchen  or  help on fishing methods, sustainability or advice on sourcing Scottish seafood for your restaurant, get in touch: enquiries@seafoodscotland.org, 0131 557 9344. 

Article written by Cate Devine, Scottish based food writer @CateDvineWriter (catedevinewriter.com)