Chef and restaurateur Mitch Tonks is building a growing reputation among lovers of seafood lucky enough to dine out and take full advantage of his latest eateries like Rockfish on the quayside in Brixham and Plymouth's Rockfish, also a stones throw from the fish market in Sutton harbour.
With several cook books to his credit, the latest being Fish Easy, Mitch is no stranger to making a fish dish to suit a wide range of pockets. Determined to make the most of a working visit to Brixham, Mike Warner not only gets to pick some sumptuous spider crab but also benefit for the master at work by eating not only breakfast but a fish supper too!
After waxing lyrical about the atmosphere and seafood on offer Mike gets down to the serious business of all things fish as befitting
With several cook books to his credit, the latest being Fish Easy, Mitch is no stranger to making a fish dish to suit a wide range of pockets. Determined to make the most of a working visit to Brixham, Mike Warner not only gets to pick some sumptuous spider crab but also benefit for the master at work by eating not only breakfast but a fish supper too!
After waxing lyrical about the atmosphere and seafood on offer Mike gets down to the serious business of all things fish as befitting
Hake, traditionally an exported commodity, but having gained more popular appeal lately in the UK, has only just this week been awarded MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) accredited status for the Cornish fishery of Newlyn, a badge that has taken years of hard work, data monitoring and assessment to achieve. In essence, it means that in that particular port, Hake can be sold having been caught observing MSC protocols and attracting not only more premium but a wealth of selective buyers. However, although the same fish can also be landed at Brixham from the same boats, it’s not currently afforded the same prestige- the chain of custody preventing it until more work can be done. Hopefully just a matter of time
So Hake it is then. With properly deep-fried chips, a zingy tomato and red onion salad and a side order of aioli. Cooked, obviously to perfection, it’s a true illustration of the ultimate traceability and sustainability of this fishery. It’s what this restaurant and its concept represents so well. Fish landed, bought and hauled by box only yards from where it was hours earlier hoisted to the quay. The texture, so different to other Gadiform species like Cod or Haddock is complemented by an equally different but distinctive flavour, which I have no doubt will continue to grow on the fish-loving UK consumer. As an island nation, we owe it to ourselves to celebrate and savour the bounty of seas and not be afraid to experiment with different tastes.
Read the full post, Tonks Effect here: