I'm always astonished by the number of people who say 'oh I hate fish'. What - all of it? The variety of tastes is immense. It's just lack of familiarity, I think. But that reluctance means that decent fishmongers are like hens' teeth in many places. There are none near here. OH and I have seriously discussed driving to Looe to get something other than salmon, cod, haddock, monkfish tails or sea bream fillets, which seem to be the only fresh fish regularly sold in the supermarkets. Apart from basa which appears to be entirely tasteless but that may just be the distance it travels to get to Tesco.
There used to be a marvellous fishmonger near where we lived in Bristol. We could get dabs, sea bass, lemon sole, even the occasional sea trout, as well as red and grey mullet, gurnard, and a wide range of other fish that had been landed that morning but were not regularly available. And the mackerel was really properly fresh. They were all whole fish, although they'd scale and fillet them for you. But you could see the eyes and know how fresh the fish actually were. Plastic wrapped fillets are never as good.
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
We're fortunate, living here in East Anglia ... three good fish stalls on Norwich market plus touring fresh fish vans which visit the villages regularly ... several of them have regular stops at farm shops as well. And of course, we visit the fishermen's huts on the beaches and in the harbours around the coast to buy fish fresh off the boat.
I remember when entertaining a guest from central Russia ... she had never eaten sea fish ... she was longing to try it and wasn't disappointed.
Just thought I ought to clarify - I'm not saying the OP has any lack of interest in trying new fish I was following a train of thought: Strange that someone in the UK hasn't come across dab before, given it's quite plentiful in our seas. But that's probably because decent fishmongers are thin on the ground in many parts of the country. Which is probably because so many people just won't eat fish - any fish - so fishmongers are hard put to make a decent living away from the main day boat fishing ports. Which is a shame, fish being at least as good environmentally as most meat produced in the UK and better than a lot of it. And hence my post.
I just realised I didn't say any of the middle bit out loud. Sorry
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Just thought I ought to clarify - I'm not saying the OP has any lack of interest in trying new fish I was following a train of thought: Strange that someone in the UK hasn't come across dab before, given it's quite plentiful in our seas. But that's probably because decent fishmongers are thin on the ground in many parts of the country. Which is probably because so many people just won't eat fish - any fish - so fishmongers are hard put to make a decent living away from the main day boat fishing ports. Which is a shame, fish being at least as good environmentally as most meat produced in the UK and better than a lot of it. And hence my post.
I just realised I didn't say any of the middle bit out loud. Sorry
No reason to apologise imo.
Similarly I am unapologetic that I did not eat fish for twenty odd years - they have no proper eyelids, after all.
People have a tendency to assume other people are like themselves. It’s not a crime, but it is a weak assumption particularly when applied at a national scale.
Dabs are shallow-water fish that live mainly around sandy estuaries and consequently they're caught by the little inshore day-boats and are often sold locally rather than being sent to the big fish markets, so people living inland may not see them on the fish monger's slabs.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
It's the bones. I have known British women in smart restaurants for group meals refuse fish in case it had a bone - little understanding that smart restaurants remove the bones. Some of these same women would only eat chicken breast because they didn't know how to negotiate a bone.
In Belgium, after the local fishmonger retired, I was driven to buying frozen salmon fillets/cod/halibut etc as that's all there was. Very good for the dishes I cooked but nowhere near as good as a very fresh fish simply cooked to show off its flavour and texture.
Now we're near the Atlantic coast we're having a fine time - mussels and oysters are grown on poles in the calm of the waters between coast and island; the biggest sardine port in France is an hour up the coast and the local markets all have stalls selling fish caught that morning. We're enjoying exploring new fish to us as well as old favourites and wonderful clams, crab, lobster, prawns........ We don't eat oysters or anything that looks like a seagoing snail or a pickled winkle.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Perhaps you're right, Obs. Maybe the fear of a fishbone in the throat is like the fear of a wasp sting - 9 times out of 10 the thought is much worse than the reality, but there's always that small chance it really will put you in hospital.
Or maybe the OP is right and I just happen to have a freakish number of fish refusniks in my immediate acquaintance, and actually we're a nation of fishophiles. But that still brings me back to the question of why fishmongers are so hard to find if you're more than 20 miles from the coast. Fish and chip shops yes. Fishmongers no. And why UK fishermen send so much of their catch into Europe for better prices and higher demand.
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
The UK is renowned for being an island of people who don't trust seafood. It's not so much the fish bone in the throat as having to remove one from their mouth or have to negotiate them with a knife and fork. We once served whole trout to a chap who was staying with us for a couple of weeks between moving from one apartment to another and he couldn't cope with it looking at him. Had to take it away and remove all bones and skin for him cos he had no idea where to start.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Morrison's used to sell dab last time I was there, I seem to remember they were very cheap too. I have a soft spot for them as it was a dab that was the first fish I caught myself and ate. Before that I had been on shannies and blennies.. not something mother was prepared to cook!
Don't complain about your fish choices, some of us have it worse! In a large supermarket here you can buy fresh salmon, cod, and "plaice" (I write it like that as I am NOT convinced it is all plaice) all of those are pre frozen defrosted skinless fillets, sometimes there will be fresh whole trout vacuum packed That is it. in season you can get herring and hornfish,
I live near a small fishing port and the largest fishmarket in The country. Even if I go to a fishmongers of which there are three near here I cannot get much more, to the above list I can add; monkfish and ling. Everything is pre prepared so you cannot see how old or anything, it's so depressing after living near some lovely markets in the UK, Bolton had a good fish market when I lived near there as did Newcastle.
I miss whiting! Now the best fishmonger here also has a smoke house attached, and they do make wonderful salmon and prawns. they also have eel. so it's not all hopeless.
Husband says he hates fish, but he likes breaded plaice (or whatever it is they are calling plaice today) he'll eat battered cod, and prawns are ok, but herring only with snaps. he says they both taste terrible but kind of cancel each other out.
Posts
There used to be a marvellous fishmonger near where we lived in Bristol. We could get dabs, sea bass, lemon sole, even the occasional sea trout, as well as red and grey mullet, gurnard, and a wide range of other fish that had been landed that morning but were not regularly available. And the mackerel was really properly fresh. They were all whole fish, although they'd scale and fillet them for you. But you could see the eyes and know how fresh the fish actually were. Plastic wrapped fillets are never as good.
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
We're fortunate, living here in East Anglia ... three good fish stalls on Norwich market plus touring fresh fish vans which visit the villages regularly ... several of them have regular stops at farm shops as well. And of course, we visit the fishermen's huts on the beaches and in the harbours around the coast to buy fish fresh off the boat.
I remember when entertaining a guest from central Russia ... she had never eaten sea fish ... she was longing to try it and wasn't disappointed.
Here's a tasty recipe for dab
https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/fish-recipes/mediterranean-style-dab/
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Strange that someone in the UK hasn't come across dab before, given it's quite plentiful in our seas.
But that's probably because decent fishmongers are thin on the ground in many parts of the country.
Which is probably because so many people just won't eat fish - any fish - so fishmongers are hard put to make a decent living away from the main day boat fishing ports.
Which is a shame, fish being at least as good environmentally as most meat produced in the UK and better than a lot of it.
And hence my post.
I just realised I didn't say any of the middle bit out loud. Sorry
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Similarly I am unapologetic that I did not eat fish for twenty odd years - they have no proper eyelids, after all.
People have a tendency to assume other people are like themselves. It’s not a crime, but it is a weak assumption particularly when applied at a national scale.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
In Belgium, after the local fishmonger retired, I was driven to buying frozen salmon fillets/cod/halibut etc as that's all there was. Very good for the dishes I cooked but nowhere near as good as a very fresh fish simply cooked to show off its flavour and texture.
Now we're near the Atlantic coast we're having a fine time - mussels and oysters are grown on poles in the calm of the waters between coast and island; the biggest sardine port in France is an hour up the coast and the local markets all have stalls selling fish caught that morning. We're enjoying exploring new fish to us as well as old favourites and wonderful clams, crab, lobster, prawns........ We don't eat oysters or anything that looks like a seagoing snail or a pickled winkle.
Or maybe the OP is right and I just happen to have a freakish number of fish refusniks in my immediate acquaintance, and actually we're a nation of fishophiles. But that still brings me back to the question of why fishmongers are so hard to find if you're more than 20 miles from the coast. Fish and chip shops yes. Fishmongers no. And why UK fishermen send so much of their catch into Europe for better prices and higher demand.
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.