The Fishy Fishy Cookbook [Hardcover]

Fishy fishy - what a brilliant collection of recipes. Such simple ingredients, easy-peasy methods and absolutely delicious results. Since I bought this book I haven't been able to stop cooking from it... favourite recipes so far are...
1) Marinated asian style sea bass (no need to buy any fancy ingredients for the marinade - I already had them all in my fridge and cupboard)- really delicious and perfect for a hot summer evening.
2) Kedgeree - simply yummy
3) Fish goujons with lemon creme fraiche - my kids LOVED this!
4) Lemon sole stuffed with ratatouille - I made this for some vegetarians (who eat fish) when they came round - really easy and very impressive.

I can't rate fishy fishy highly enough - packed with useful extras such as dressings, sauces, side salads... Don't let the celebrity endorsement fool you - this is a proper recipe book that you will turn to time and again.

I adore fish, so any cookbook dedicated to the subject is fine by me. My heart sank a little when I saw the restaurant on which the book is based is part-owned by Dermot O'Leary but, in fairness to him, he manages a forward which is not at all `show-biz'.

The book is large and substantial to hold but not so huge that it is unusable. At over 190 pages, containing more than 90 recipes, it also represents good value for money. The photos of the dishes are clear, not overly `staged' and very tempting.

The recipes are simple, appetizing and unpretentious. Most people who have any interest in cooking whatsoever could find the majority of ingredients in their store cupboards and freezers. Inexperienced cooks will find the hints and tips very useful, such as cooking a pastry pie lid separately to avoid the filling boiling up and making the underside soggy.

Many recipes come with numerous variations so a technique, once learned, can be used over and over again without boredom setting in. Examples include 3 ways with mussels (Marinere, Thai, Provencal) and eggs (Benedict, Florentine and Royale).

There are a sprinkling of non-fish dishes, including a goat's cheese tartlet and a variety of scrumptious desserts, and I particularly enjoyed the interesting snippets scattered throughout the book. For example, did you know that clam chowder has been served at every US president's inauguration since 1981?

One very small point about this book, but one that makes such a difference, is that the page numbers are HUGE. This makes it so easy to find the recipe you want.

There are very few minuses to this volume but I would mention two:
I've said the pictures are good but, unfortunately, not all recipes are accompanied by a photo of the dish itself. Often there is no picture at all or else it is one of trawlers, hunky fishermen or boxes of fish.

Finally, bizarrely, there are absolutely NO fresh salmon recipes. I find this difficult to fathom as the book supports the use of fresh farmed salmon in view of the fact that the wild variety is expensive and rare. Also, a lot of the recipes are clearly made with entertaining in mind - whether a full sit-down dinner party or impromptu barbeque - and, for a lot of people, Summer entertaining means a buffet. Mine are rarely complete without a quiche, coulibiac or poached side of salmon and none of these appear in the book..

These small niggles aside, I would fully recommend this book since it is simple enough for beginners yet inspiring for the experienced.

The Fishy Fishy brasserie is the result of a long held dream of three close friends: James Ginzler, Paul Shovlin and Loz Talent. Importantly all the fish served is local, seasonal and sustainable. The first Fishy Fishy opened in Brighton with a second restaurant in Poole.

Bizarrely as someone who loves fish, I do not cook it that often. With all the recent coverage on waste and sustainability, knowing what to buy can be tricky. The Fishy Fishynofollow cookbook is not just a recipe book, but also is crammed with fish facts, explaining how fish are caught, how to select which fish to buy and how to prepare them.

There are over 90 recipes, most with a full colour photo. The book is divided in to starters, BBQ & al fresco eating, everyday fish & shellfish, special occasions and sauces, side dishes and desserts.

By and large the recipes are simple, concentrating on the quality of the ingredients to showcase the flavours. As long as you can source good fish (which the book tells you how to do) all the other ingredients will be available in any supermarket and you should be able to product restaurant quality dishes at home.

Recipes that have caught my eye are scallops with chorizo or tempura oysters with chilli jam for a first course. The marinated Asian style fish fillets can be adapted to any fish and cooked on either a griddle or BBQ. An everyday classic fish pie is made both luxurious and economical by using off cuts of lots of different fish. For a special occasion there is a lobster feast with three different ways of cooking lobster, or a mixed fish platter with roasted potatoes.

The sauces section tells you how to make every accompaniment in the book encompassing mayonnaise, flavoured butters through to sauce vierge, rouille and mushy peas. Puddings are simple featuring chocolate brownies, tarte au citron and pear tart tartin amongst others.

All in all a fantastic first fish cookbook giving great achievable recipes, and, importantly, the knowledge and confidence to buy and cook fish successfully.