Curb the cod, park the prawns: top chefs on how to swap out the ‘big five’ seafood
From moules marinière to scallop, bacon and garlic butter rolls, here’s how to cast your culinary net wider and embrace more sustainable species
TL;DR
- British seafood tastes are often limited to cod, haddock, salmon, tuna, and prawns.
- Five sustainable seafood species to consider are mussels, hake, monkfish, anchovies/sardines, and scallops.
- Mussels are sustainable as they are grown on ropes, purifying water and improving biodiversity.
- Hake populations have recovered, and sustainable netting practices reduce bycatch.
- North Sea monkfish caught in nets is recommended due to healthy stocks and quota limitations.
- Anchovies and sardines have good stocks in the south of the UK and are resilient species.
- Sustainable scallop options include hand-dived or those caught with lighted pots, avoiding seabed-damaging dredging.
- Chefs like Jack Stein, CJ Jackson, Roberta Hall-McCarron, Caroline Bennett, and Mitch Tonks offer cooking suggestions for these sustainable fish.