Lockdown lowdown on sustainable seafood
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| Inshore boats are landing everyday to the fish market - Newlyn. |
Food is one of the few things that we can all enjoy during lockdown! Many of us are really enjoying our cooking and having a little more time to spend in the kitchen gives us an opportunity to be a little more adventurous, particularly with seafood.
To encourage us all to support our local sustainable fishermen, Cornwall Good Seafood Guide, a Cornwall Wildlife Trust project, has set up a comprehensive list of seafood suppliers offering sales and delivery during lockdown. This week they are also launching a series of stunning, simple recipes that will encourage you to give delicious, sustainable, Cornish seafood a go!
Award winning Cornish private chef Ken Symons spent a day with the Cornwall Good Seafood Guide team in the kitchen just before lockdown.
Ken loves cooking with local Cornish seafood and was delighted to help with this initiative:
“This is a difficult time for chefs but I am really pleased to be able to help inspire people to give seafood a try as it is vital we keep our local fishermen fishing and we all make the most of this incredible local resource.”
The first recipe is featured in a short video which we are sharing on our social media which is pan fried mackerel with a tasty Basque inspired pepperonata (a pepper and garlic stew with capers) that really complements this delicious oily fish beautifully.
“Mackerel is just beginning to come into season and line caught mackerel is about as sustainable as seafood can be”, said Cornwall Seafood Guide’s Matt Slater.
“We also have a delightful Thai inspired Monkfish curry with seasonal vegetables and coconut rice. A surprisingly simple dish that is absolutely delicious. Monkfish are a popular fish which is caught in large quantities all around Cornwall. The latest scientific advice shows that the populations of this
fish are very healthy and it has been on our recommended list as a sustainable option for nearly a year now” reported Matt.
Following a collapse in traditional export and restaurant markets fishermen and fish sellers are finding a surge in local appreciation for the wonderful, sustainable seafood landed in Cornwall that was previously considered a luxury that you would only eat in high-end restaurants.
Many fishermen are now selling direct, some are delivering and several of our larger fishmongers and fish wholesalers are now offering free delivery during lockdown, locally and nationwide. Our list of seafood sellers continues to expand, attracting thousands of visits since its launch on 12th March.
“It’s one of the few positives that have come out of this very difficult situation we find ourselves in,” said Matt Slater, “the public really want to help their local fishermen and we all need to eat. It makes sense to eat the wonderful fresh, local seafood landed in Cornwall, especially now it is easier than ever to get local seafood delivered to your door through our website”
There is increasing evidence that the public appreciate and want to eat Cornish sustainable seafood. Paul Trudgian owner and director of Fish For Thought has seen his online sales for fresh fish deliveries to the public dramatically increase – “the levels of engagement, positivity and support for our business and the amazing fishermen we work with has been humbling. I am so proud of the way our customers and our team have responded to this unprecedented crisis, and I am increasingly optimistic that many more people will join our Seafood Revolution, and demand sustainable British seafood in the future.”
Please follow Cornwall Good Seafood Guide on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter to be kept up to date and visit our website to find local seafood suppliers and inspiration as well as a wealth of information on the sustainability of Cornish seafood!
Links CGSG fish delivery to your door list:
https://www.cornwallgoodseafoodguide.org.uk/cornish-fishing/fish-delivery-to-your-door-coronavirus-lockdown.php
Recipe link:
https://www.cornwallgoodseafoodguide.org.uk/recipes/pan-fried-mackerel-fillets-on-toasted-sourdough-with-pepperonata.php
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/cornwallgoodseafoodguide?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cornwallgoodsea
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cornwallgoodseafoodguide/
For more information contact: Matt Slater, Cornwall Good Seafood Guide, 01872 302251 mobile 07917765581
matt.slater@cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk