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Tuesday Feb 7 ( Smithfield Market 2.30 am)
It was very brisk this morning at 2.30 & two degrees below, not the best time to be visiting the local fish market (40 miles away on the other side of Manchester).
But as the saying goes "the early bird" seems most appropriate as on my arrival I'm met with an abundance & variety seldom experienced. Fishing has been good & the first thing I fall upon is beautiful big Cod fillets at least a couple of kilo apiece - Generally speaking the bigger the fish the more you pay, with the one exception, that when there is a glut of fish it is plentiful,big & you get the best fish for the best price. The one unfortunate problem is that we will not freeze down our fish, as we like to buy & sell fresh, so lets hope theres plenty more on our next visit, nevertheless if you pay us a visit I can certainly recommend the Cod.
Next step Irish Hake & Wild Bass, just unbeatable in quality- texture & size - big portions at Le metro this week. Finally buy a whole Salmon & the guys fillet & pin bone it on site (at long last being recognised as a regular).
Move onto next door "Big Fish-Little Fish" new supplier of mussels (isle of Skye) they look OK but just but one net best try them out first. Bought the usual Crayfish & sliced Salmon , but then came across some McKays smoked Mackerel (fantastic served hot with butter & fresh bread) so buy a box 6kilo - look out for them on the menu.
fresh crevettes on offer for the first time in a couple of weeks so buy some 40-60 they had the larger size but at £30.00 plus a kilo I had to pass. Stocked up with some nice white crab meat & Extra Large King Scallops, but refrained from buying any expensive flat fish ( brill - Lemon sole- Turbot -Dovers) until the weekend.
Saturday Feb 4 (Smithfield Fish Market 3.00am)
Having just returned back from the market, never having seen the place so quiet,all the new season fish now being caught but not many buying.
So I suppose, as they say "every silver cloud" gave me the opportunity to buy some beautiful fresh fish at a a price unequalled anywhere in the area.
Hodgkinsons is probably the best place to buy wet fish, most of thier produce comes down from Scotland/Ireland & the quality is just unbeatable. Brilliant wild Sea Bass (caught this morning) - pink gilled & bright eyed on their stall managed to talk the guys into filleting them for me 600-800 gram fillets so bought ten kilo which should last the week-end bought at a great price, so can pass this onto the customer.
Bought twenty kilo of hake, although more expensive than cod & haddock it has that firmmer meatier taste, which we use for our famous Fish & Chips, I'd wager theres non better in Yorkshire. Looking for something a little bit unusual & came upon some lovely pink Gurnard, not the best looking fish (hence the word Gurning, pulling an unusual ugly face), but they were plump, fresh and at a good price to put on the specials board, so bougfht twelve. Flat fish seems to be very popular at the moment, but finding anything reasonably priced is a needle in the preverbial haystack (gone is the day of cheap fish) nevertheless managed to barter the price down on the remaining box of male Plaice (females are holding roe at the moment, so we don't buy these on principal) I suppose its our small contribution to sustainability.
Finally I buy six small dressed crabs & 1/2 a kilo of the best white crab meat youre ever likely to come across, its more expensive than the pasturised stuff, but what a difference to the crab linguine 'Just great'.
Moved onto Big Fish - Little Fish they have their own fishing boats in Devon & Cornwall so thier stall has a uniqually different type of produce , ranging from sardines & mackerel to cogna eel & brown shrimp. had a good look round & found some XL (Extra Large) King Scallops at 21.00 a kilo, knowing how popular these are I buy them as a lost leader (otherwise I'd have to charge 8.00 per partion) & Gavin "the head Chef" makes a mean starter with Scallops & Black Pudding. The Usual Dover Sole - Brill & turbot all a ludicrously high prices, but low & behold some Lemon Sole at just (did I say just?) £13.00 a kilo - dug deep & bought a box (six kilo) should sell this week end "Lemon Sole with crushed new potatoes- samphire-seasonal greens & butter sauce with brown shrimp). Buy six side of fresh Scottish Salmon which I always buy from here as they have a supplier who keeps them in wild salmon on a regular basis (unlike the farmed variety who they feed with steroids & clouring pellets- to make them fat & pink) some people say they can't tell the difference, but our sales just get stronger from only using wild & fresh.The very last thing is to buy some samphire (sea asparagus) which goes really well with lemon sole,& a kilo of shrimp for sauce.
Its still dark as I wing my way back to Halifax to prep & clean tonights purchase for this lunchtimes menu.
For Pre Order booking Customers
Although our Fish Menu Changes daily we are unable to update our web site other than on a
weekly basis – We would therefore ask you to consider this menu listed below for guideline
purposes only – We buy fresh fish daily & can never guarantee that any fish caught on Monday
will be available again the following day
Today’s Specials
Starters
Le Metro Soup of the Day - £4.25
Salt & Pepper Soft Shell Crab – Thai chilli salad £6.95
Manilla Clams – Clam Mariniere - £3.65
Extra Large King Scallops – Apple textures - £5.25
Irish Delmaine Mussels – Chorizo- tomato- chilli- lemon – £6.25
Sautéed King prawns – (Chilli– lemon- garlic) - £5.75
(V) Wild Mushroom Risotto - £4.75
Main Course
Finest Yorkshire Fish & Chips - Beer battered (Hake) – hand cut chips – mushy peas - £9.75
Irish Delmaine Mussels – Chorizo- tomato- chilli- lemon – French Fries – £9.95
Award winning Sausages –Seasonal greens - Buttered Mash - £9.75
6oz Sirloin Steak – Confit tomato- mushroom- French shoestring fries - £8.95
Fillet of Plaice – New potatoes - Brown shrimp sauce - £8.95
Wild Rainbow Trout Steak – Crab & tomato risotto - £10.95
Hot Tomato Arrabiata – Chorizo – chilli – lemon - £8.55
Baby Dover Sole – French sunrise potatoes- samphire –green beans- beurre noisette - £12.95
Desserts
Dark Chocolate Mousse – Dressed raspberries & orange - £4.65
Brie on Toast – Truffle Honey- walnut & shallot salad - £4.65
Dark Chocolate Fondant – Pistachio- pears - £4.75
Crème Brulee – Shortbread £4.50 Lemon Syllabub – Poached lemon- toasted almond biscoti - £4.65
Old School style Baby Banana Sundae – Caramel- vanilla ice cream- honeycomb - £4.75
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