Today's Special: Catch of the Day

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It is week three of our local shopping experiment and we are faring very well. I must confess I bought my fish fillets on Saturday as my local fishmonger F C Soper - like most - is not open on Monday.

Here is a simple and healthy way to cook fish fillets that I found in the South of France at Leucate, where fish is quite literally pulled from the sea and cooked.
Leucate’s Rive Droite is a row of quay side, shack-type cafés which cook the day’s catch, my favourite is one that prepares whatever has been caught the same way every day. Huge bunches of herbs foraged from the garrigue; rosemary, thyme and lavender, are laid on a piece of foil, on which a prepared fish is placed, more herbs are added on top, the foil is sealed and the whole lot is baked in a hot oven for 10 to 20 minutes depending on the size of the fish. 

As a rough guide allow 10 minutes per 2.5 cm of fish at the thickest part.

The results are mouth watering and so healthy, as the fish gently steams in its own juices and the moisture and oils given up by the herbs.

This is a really quick, non-smelly and easy way to cook fish at home; the method works very well with fish steaks and fillets too. Swordfish and coriander, salmon and dill, tuna and tarragon, you don’t need any oil just very large bunches of herbs. 

Be a resident of Peckham Rye foraging on the garrigue might pose a few problems. Instead after buying your fish pop along to Beaumonts, the friendly and family green grocers just down the road on Evelina Road, where you are guaranteed huge bunches of seasonal herbs.

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