Flying Fish Market Report from Day Boat Specialists #2

Missed Flying Fish Report 1, read it here.

Here in Cornwall, we are lucky enough to have some of the UK's richest and most varied fish and shellfish supplies. We source our fish daily from local markets in Looe, Brixham, Newlyn and Plymouth, as well as speciality products from Scotland and Rungis market in Paris. Our overnight delivery service means we can offer some of the freshest produce available in today's market.

Flying Fish is absolutely committed to quality. We strive to provide our customers with the finest fish and shellfish Cornwall has to offer, sustainably sourced and expertly selected.

 Wild Sea Trout

The wild sea trout, or salmon trout, bears little resemblance to the inexpensive but unexceptional farmed trout. Its time spent at sea means that it is closer to wild salmon in colour, flavour and texture but without the prohibitive price! Its rich diet of pink crustaceans means that it flesh is extraordinarily vivid in colour and exquisite in quality and depth of flavour. It is in season right now and lasts for about 6-8 weeks.

This oily, but beautifully fragrant fish lends itself well to accompanying seasonal summertime vegetables and is best when is at its freshest.

What to look for:

These fish should have the richest, deepest coloured flesh (much like wild salmon). Look for bright eyes, scarlet red gills, firm flesh and slippery skin to the touch.

These fish contain quite a lot of bones, so take caution when filleting if you're doing it yourself. Otherwise, ask your fishmongers to do it for you.

Red Mullet

Red mullet is classified as a round white fish but has a richer and more satisfying flavour than most thanks to its higher fat content. It is sometimes compared to shellfish in taste, and in fact feeds on them. Without doubt this fish is as good to eat as it is to look at!

There are two main types of red mullet available in Britain. As the name suggests, they have a red-coloured skin, but one has a thin yellow band running along its body, the other has an attractively mottled skin. Both are generally small, and considered best when under 500g in weight. Unusually for a fish, the red mullet's liver is considered a delicacy.

This species of fish bears no resemblance, and is not related to the grey or silver mullet.

What to look for:

Ask your fishmonger where they were caught. For superior quality they would need to come from local day-boats. This ensures that not only was the fish sustainably sourced, but is of the sort of quality that you would expect from this exquisite fish.

Telltale signs of a trawled fish would be that there are many of the scales missing, there may be some bruising to the flesh and the stripes down the sides would not be that visible. 

Flying Fish advice on buying fish......

#1 Only buy fish that are in season and avoid fish during their spawning period. This means that you get an opportunity to purchase various types of fish that are at their very best, in both quality and price, as spawning seasons vary from species to species. Buying fish in this way has a massive bearing on the future stocks and sustainability as it promotes responsible fishing and doesn't target any particular species all-year-round.

#2 Ask you fishmonger where the fish was landed. Any good fishmonger will be able to tell you where, when and who caught it. Try to source from local day boats this ensures that the fish is at its freshest and it's caught using sustainable methods.