Guest appearance by Monty Halls and Nigel Legge of BBC 2’s The Fisherman’s Apprentice
Following the success of its Ugly Fish Fridays, launched as a stand against the fishing quota system that sees dead fish thrown back into the sea; niche city caterer Lusso is staging an “Ugly Fish Friday Pop Up” at Whitecross Street Market in London on Friday 6th July.
Assisted by “The Fisherman’s Apprentice”; Monty Halls, and his fisherman mentor Nigel Legge. Lusso’s expert chefs will produce street food that’s elite food with a lunch-time pop up stall serving a range of delicious fish dishes using sustainable species of fish landed by Nigel in the now famous Cadgwith Cove in Cornwall the previous day. The stall will start serving lunch from 11 am and will continue until they run out of fish.Less well-known and fashionable than their more glamorous but increasingly overfished cousins, Lusso’s Ugly Fish are as good to eat as they are unlovely to look at. Most importantly, they are all species on the Marine Stewardship Council’s approved list of sustainable fish.
Lusso Managing Director Paul Hurren who created the “Ugly Fish Friday” concept comments; “Many delicious, sustainable fish species are overlooked and under-used by chefs and diners. We aim to change this by putting our talented chefs to work, demonstrating that Cod, Halibut and Seabass are not the only choices, and that there are literally plenty more delicious fish in the sea.”
Lusso will serve a variety of "ugly fish" at its sites every Friday that are all species on the Marine Stewardship Council's approved list of sustainable fish. They will be sourced through supplier Seafood Direct and cooked to order in a choice of ways.
Lusso said that while the fish were less pretty and fashionable than their increasingly overfished cousins, they were as good to eat as they were unlovely to look at.
Lusso managing director Paul Hurren (pictured) who came up with the "ugly fish Friday" concept after he was inspired by Hugh's Fish Fight said: "70% of assessed fish stocks in large parts of the EU are overfished, and yet many delicious, sustainable fish species are currently overlooked and under-used by chefs and thus under-ordered by diners.
"We are helping to change this by putting our talented chefs to work, demonstrating that cod, halibut and sea bass are not the only choices, and that there are plenty more delicious fish in the sea."
"Most of our customers really care about the provenance of their food as well as its taste. We are asking our diners to be a little more adventurous - safe in the knowledge that our chefs will turn these fish into dishes that even the most discerning customers will love."
Many of Lusso’s regular diners from city banks, accountancy, law and insurance firms will be encouraged to leave their offices and head to the “Ugly Fish Friday Pop Up” to try a street food lunch with a difference - and raise money for charity. All profits are being donated to Monty’s chosen charity; The Fisherman’s Mission, which provides emergency welfare support to fishermen and their families.
Campaigns inevitably mean winners and losers - as this article in the Independent revealed four years ago. One of the Ugly Fish stars is the once less than humble red gurnard - long revered in France but back here the scourge of the inshore trawlermen (they have vicious spines) and untill recently sold for a pittance to crab and lobster fishermen for bait - who are now forced to pay huge prices for gurnard bait or have switched to cheaper - and less effective fish.