Flying Fish Market Report from Day Boat Specialists #2

The Staff Canteen

Missed Flying Fish Report 1, read it here.

Flying Fish Seafoods is proud to supply high quality fish to distinctive restaurants and hotels throughout the South and West of England. Our pledge is simple. We source the finest and freshest fish directly from Cornwall's best fishermen and deliver it straight to your door. Here in Cornwall, we are lucky enough to have some of the UK's richest and most varied fish and shellfish supplies. We source our fish daily from local markets in Looe, Brixham, Newlyn and Plymouth, as well as speciality products from Scotland and Rungis market in Paris. Our overnight delivery service means we can offer some of the freshest produce available in today's market. Flying Fish is absolutely committed to quality. We strive to provide our customers with the finest fish and shellfish Cornwall has to offer, sustainably sourced and expertly selected.  Wild Sea Trout The wild sea trout, or salmon trout, bears little resemblance to the inexpensive but unexceptional farmed trout. Its time spent at sea means that it is closer to wild salmon in colour, flavour and texture but without the prohibitive price! Its rich diet of pink crustaceans means that it flesh is extraordinarily vivid in colour and exquisite in quality and depth of flavour. It is in season right now and lasts for about 6-8 weeks. This oily, but beautifully fragrant fish lends itself well to accompanying seasonal summertime vegetables and is best when is at its freshest. What to look for: These fish should have the richest, deepest coloured flesh (much like wild salmon). Look for bright eyes, scarlet red gills, firm flesh and slippery skin to the touch. These fish contain quite a lot of bones, so take caution when filleting if you're doing it yourself. Otherwise, ask your fishmongers to do it for you. Red Mullet Red mullet is classified as a round white fish but has a richer and more satisfying flavour than most thanks to its higher fat content. It is sometimes compared to shellfish in taste, and in fact feeds on them. Without doubt this fish is as good to eat as it is to look at! There are two main types of red mullet available in Britain. As the name suggests, they have a red-coloured skin, but one has a thin yellow band running along its body, the other has an attractively mottled skin. Both are generally small, and considered best when under 500g in weight. Unusually for a fish, the red mullet's liver is considered a delicacy. This species of fish bears no resemblance, and is not related to the grey or silver mullet. What to look for: Ask your fishmonger where they were caught. For superior quality they would need to come from local day-boats. This ensures that not only was the fish sustainably sourced, but is of the sort of quality that you would expect from this exquisite fish. Telltale signs of a trawled fish would be that there are many of the scales missing, there may be some bruising to the flesh and the stripes down the sides would not be that visible.  Flying Fish advice on buying fish...... #1 Only buy fish that are in season and avoid fish during their spawning period. This means that you get an opportunity to purchase various types of fish that are at their very best, in both quality and price, as spawning seasons vary from species to species. Buying fish in this way has a massive bearing on the future stocks and sustainability as it promotes responsible fishing and doesn't target any particular species all-year-round. #2 Ask you fishmonger where the fish was landed. Any good fishmonger will be able to tell you where, when and who caught it. Try to source from local day boats this ensures that the fish is at its freshest and it's caught using sustainable methods.
In these challenging times…

The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall  – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.

Over the last 16 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 560,000 followers across Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.

A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.

Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.

The Staff Canteen

The Staff Canteen

Editor 9th June 2011

Flying Fish Market Report from Day Boat Specialists #2