Newlyn Fish of the Week 2 - the mighty Bass!

Bass is one of those fish that everyone knows. The bane of many a shore angler, often sought, seldom caught! The bass landed on the market in Newlyn is mainly caught by fishermen working alone on punts using hook and line, they are fished all year round but at their most abundant from summer onwards. 

So who better to pick for catching the mighty bass than the bass king himself, Stephen Astley aka, Cap'n Cod...

who is recognised as one of the top handline fishermen in the port...

working singlehanded from his boat Butts, Stephen is the epitome of environmentally sustainable fishing championed by his peers from the ports and coves of Cornwall.

Cooking bass is fun. Mostly because it is a fish for a special occasion so you want to do this king of fish justice. It is one of those fish that demands some loving care and attention - not one for the deep fat fryer in batter for sure!

Here's a few suggestions from some of the country's best known chefs:

 First up Ricard Stein's protege son Jack and a raw example...

or this classic Breton inspired recipe using wet sea salt from Galton Blackaston...

and finally, how could we not pay homage to the man who really put the 'F' into British fish cooking, Mr Keith Floyd himself...

here in his book, Floyd on Fish, providing not one but four recipes and, in typical Floyd fashion selflessly including one from his kitchen sparring partner...

Rick, or Richard Stein as he was better known in the heady days of 1985 and groundbreaking TV cheffery that Floyd pioneered paving the way for much of the cooking we see today on our screens today.