A touch of Todiwala magic.

Following in the footsteps of the great the late, great Keith Floyd and getting right back to where the ingredients for the meal on your plate come from...

London based chef Cyrus Todiwala prepares to head out to sea...

with his skipper for the day, fisherman Andrew Stevens aka @Cornish-Lobster...

seen here showing a forty year old male lobster to Pervin Todiwala ...

and talking through why (these days) 'berried' female lobsters are landed and handed over to the local lobster hatchery in the harbour...

but today's quarry are not the lobsters for which Andrew provides Newlyn fish-fans Sue and Duncan Lewis in their Camberley Fish Shop, but the relatively unknown and certainly under-valued spider crab...

so it's time for son and cameraman Homer to step aboard the good ship Benediction...

while the rest of the crew and including Pervin and SAGB guru, Mike Warner...

 take to the Flowing Tide out to accompany the Benediction and film from...

just as well they will not be hauling gear too far from the shore...

with such a heavy bank of fog rolling across the bay...

though the sun soon makes a breakthrough and visibility improves...

as the outbound netter Britannia IV passes by...

for the sake of getting close up shots of the hauling process..

the camera crew on board the Flowing Tide get up close to the action...

not so far from the old Penlee lifeboat house...

and by the time the nets have been hauled the sun has burnt off most of the cloud...

and a promising start to the day is looking good...

after his groundbreaking 1985 BBC TV series Floyd on Fish Sir Keith published a cook book with the same title and in the crab section of the book said;"if you ever come across spider crabs snap them up... they are full of succulent meat"...

once all hands had helped set up the temporary kitchen on the quay the...

cameras could start to roll...

starting with a brief intro from Cyrus extolling the virtues of fresh, live produce straight from the sea like spider crab...

one of which was about to go in a large pot of boiling seawater (after being humainly despatched)...

interestingly, shellfish guru Mike learned from Cyrus that back in Mumbai (where Cyrus while cheffing with Taj Hotels first met his now wife Pervin) shellfish are never boiled but chopped and added to dishes raw - which he demonstrates later...

the whole spider was ready to crack open for its meat...

while Mike behind one camera...

and Homer behind the other focused in on the action...

as the preparation of vegetables, rice and spices continued...

which by now had attracted a few admirers including marine artist Tim Hall and renowned portrait artist, Henrietta Graham...

who has painted Cyrus as part of her stunning body of work on Great British Chefs...

as the spices were added...

the harbour began to fill with the delicate aromas of Parsi cooking which Cyrus brought over to England from his native Mumbai and pioneered with his renowned Café Spice Namasté restaurant and has received so much critical acclaim...

"keep it simple and fresh for fish"...

and add the ingredients slowly and one at a time...

by now, fisherman Andrew's patience is wearing thin, not only does he have to return the nets to sea but also to haul is lobster pots but as a great fan of freshly cooked fish is being tortured by the sight and smells of the kitchen set up to cook his spiders...

more fresh ingredients like coriander are prepared along with many anecdotal stories as to the health benefits of many spice and herb ingredients used in Indian cooking...

that wry smile appears again...

as Andrew is teased once more, this time by the spiced butter crab dish being prepped...

before the two key players discuss the merits...

of using fresh crab...

body and legs removed...

and cleaned...

the basic masala...

cooked at just the right temperature...

before the pieces of raw crab are added...

tossed...

then it's on to the next dish using freshly chopped (careful with that £120 chopper Mike)...

and added to the pan mix...

you can feel the passion for the fresh local produce in waves on the quayside...

from a chef who is totally in touch with his ingredients, especially those lesser known like spider crab...

music to the ears of Shellfish Association of Great Britain, Mike Warner charged with championing this under-utilised (in the UK) fish...

at last all four dishes are set up on the single al-fresco table dining room of Chez Stevens Net Loft quayside restaurant...

with a look of triumph on Mike's face...

expectant smiles from the artists and others...

all waiting to try the magical results of a masterclass conjured up by Cyrus using the basic ingredients and simple facilities on the quay...

before being treated to a more traditional form of magic from artist Tim Hall in his studio, with all hands still wondering where that coin went from beneath the glass!

UK Fisheries white paper - draft version in full.

The long-awaited and much anticipated draft Fisheries white paper 2018 in its entirety which was due to be published last summer but has been subjected to a series of delays.

A draft of the fisheries white paper proposes that “the most modern technology” be used to monitor fishing vessels, as well as additional “robust systems”, such as extra patrols and aerial surveillance. The draft says new legislation will include measures “to enable the UK better to control access to our fishing waters . . . by designating which countries’ vessels may fish in these areas and enforcing against those who don’t comply”. It also suggests that the Joint Maritime Operations Co-ordination Centre will harmonise “cross-agency patrol capabilities, information sharing and aerial surveillance”. For some immediate in-depth comment from around the country read this coverage from the Financial Times.

The BBC responded by picking up on the idea of the UK retaining the right to veto fisheries negotiations over Scotland in Brussels during the transition period: 

"The UK government would retain a veto over Scotland in international fisheries negotiations, according to a draft white paper seen by BBC Scotland.

The paper, which is still to be finalised, sets out a framework for quota talks where devolved institutions would be consulted on the UK government's negotiating position.

It said there would be a "duty of cooperation" within the delegation and that "wherever possible consensus will be sought on negotiating priorities".

However, it admits that the Secretary of State would have the power to make a final decision if there is a disagreement within the delegation.

What is the Brexit 'transition' phase?
The Scottish government has accused Westminster of a "power grab" over responsibilities which are already devolved.

Fisheries management is one of the 24 powers over which UK ministers want to temporarily retain power.

French trawlers entering Newlyn.

The draft white paper also says the Fisheries Bill will include proposals for powers for the UK government to control access to UK waters.

It will include legislative powers, it adds, "for the UK government to set fishing opportunities".

'Set out vision'

This refers to the amount of fish which is allowed to be caught.

It reinforces the commitment to stick to scientific principles which ensure that collectively the EU and the coastal states of Norway, Faroes Islands and Iceland do not overfish.

A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) spokesman said: "We are committed to safeguarding the interests of our vital fishing communities and will continue to work closely with Scotland and other devolved administrations to develop a future fishing policy that works for the whole of the UK.

"Our white paper will set out our vision for the industry and will be published in due course. We do not comment on leaked documents."

The Scottish government has been approached for comment.

Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation, told BBC Scotland: "This is about jobs, communities and fisheries management.

"Talk of power grabs or vetoes is unhelpful."

It's another very #FishyFriday in Newlyn.

The mix of warm, water-laden sea air and low temperature seawater often fills the bay at this time of year...

and in so doing produces lots of dramatic sky images...

unlike the new strongly lit fish market in Newlyn...

and its excellently durable new floor valiantly resisting the onslaught of sepia ink attack every morning...

or playing host to tons of superb quality inshore and line caught fish like these fish from one of the newest boats in the fleet, young Mr Smith's Maverick...

or pristine pollack from Cap'n Cod on the Butts...

much sought after by those supplying restaurants...

with John Dory...

red mullet...

tub gurnards...

and even redder mullet...

matched only by the size of these huge ray wings...

all of which are guaranteed to put a smile on the faces of those hardened brothers-in-arms from Newlyn Fish and Fal(mouth)Fish...

missing from the menus down this are are squid - not being landed in any great quantity...

unlike south-west special, the John Dory...

 caught here by young Roger Nowell, Mr Dory himself on the Imogen III...

there were also some superb trap-caught cuttles...

and a cracking greater weaver that did not go un-noticed by @eastcoastavocet visiting the port...

as the fish already sold was whisked away by the draggers...+

not necessarily the hand of God...

only a handful of the fleet are in for the weekend...

dejá vu or, ramp number two under construction...

for all those concerned, what were the results of the 'Live Wrasse' meetings?..

top Scottish prawn freezer, Nereus is back in port...

two fast grey hulls...

free life-jacket sessions over the next few days - get yours checked over...

not a better way to start the day than a cooked breakfast in the Fishermen's Café opposite the fish market in Newlyn.