Rick Stein's Seafood Lovers' Guide: Recipes Inspired by a Coastal Journey

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Rick Stein confesses that, following the world-wide peregrinations of his Seafood Odyssey, the prospect of a seafood tour of the coasts of the United Kingdom and Eire seemed humdrum. That he was completely wrong is shown triumphantly by the resulting Seafood Lover's Guide, an account of the fish and shellfish harvested around the coast, where to buy it and how to cook it and eat it. This book will be for many readers an eye-opener in the richness and variety of the country's seafood. Starting from his home in the west country, Stein travels the length of a coastline "of matchless beauty", talking to fishermen, suppliers and cooks. He skilfully maintains a very delicate balance between a chef's enthusiasm for the product, as it were, on the one hand, and a proper dismay at the state of the fisheries after decades of thoughtless over-fishing. Yet the overall mood is optimistic, as he meets so many people who care so passionately about the fruits of the sea. Each regional section contains a choice selection of Stein recipes, some local, some modified, some unapologetically foreign, all expertly crafted (of course) and delicious, all designed to show off the superlative quality of the seafood. Representative highlights might include Gurnard Fillets with a Potato, Garlic and Saffron Broth, Split Herrings with a Caper and Fresh Tomato Salsa, Seafood and White Bean Cassoulet with Salt Cod, Garlic and Toulouse Sausage, and the exquisitely simple Halibut Poached in Olive Oil with Cucumber and Dill. Regional listings of seafood restaurants, fish and chip establishments, fishmongers, seafood suppliers and smokers add further value to this very classy production. --Robin Davidson