Why People Don’t Cook Fish at Home
Most people I talk to behind the counter say the same thing: “I’d love to cook more fish, I’m just nervous about it.” Fair enough. Fish has a reputation for being tricky: easy to overcook, smelly if you get it wrong, expensive if you ruin it. None of that is actually true if you start with the right fish and the right method.
So here’s the beginner’s guide. Six species that are hard to mess up, and the best way to cook each one.
1. Salmon Fillets: The Best Starting Point
If you’ve never cooked fish before, start with salmon. Specifically, Loch Duart salmon fillets. Here’s why:
- The high oil content makes it really forgiving. Even slightly overcooked salmon is still juicy.
- It’s a familiar flavour. Most people have eaten salmon before so it’s not a leap.
- Almost any cooking method works (oven, pan, BBQ, even microwave).
- It tastes great with simple seasonings: salt, pepper, lemon, done.
Easiest method: Oven baked. 200°C for 12-15 minutes for a 150g fillet, skin-side down on a baking tray with a bit of oil and salt. Set a timer. Don’t peek. Done.
If you can manage that, you’re a fish cook. Welcome.
2. Cod Fillet: The Classic White Fish
Cod is what most people think of when they think “fish.” Mild, white, flaky, forgiving. The only thing to watch is that it can dry out if you cook it too long, but it’s only 8-10 minutes from raw to ready, so it’s hard to mess up.
Easiest method: Pan-fried. Heat oil in a pan, season the cod, lay it skin-side down for 5 minutes, flip, 3 more minutes. Squeeze of lemon. That’s dinner. Goes with chips, mash, rice, salad, anything.
3. Bass Fillets: Looks Impressive, Takes Five Minutes
Bass sounds posh but it’s actually one of the easiest fish to cook. Thin fillets cook in 5 minutes. The skin crisps up beautifully if you dry it first. It looks like you’ve gone to a lot of trouble when you haven’t. Start with farmed bass. It’s the cheaper of the two and the fillets come off it small enough to cook in one go.
Easiest method: Pan-fry skin-side down for 4 minutes (don’t move it!), flip for 1 minute, done. Full step-by-step in our pan-fried bass recipe. That’s the recipe to start with.
4. Mackerel: The Best-Value Lesson Fish
Mackerel is criminally underrated. Whole mackerel costs around £3 each. If you mess it up, you’ve lost three quid. So it’s the perfect species to practise on.
It’s also brilliant for you (huge omega-3 hit) and has a strong enough flavour that even people who “don’t like fish” usually quite like mackerel grilled with lemon. Try our BBQ mackerel recipe. Five minutes a side and it’s done.
Easiest method: Stick it under the grill (broiler) whole or in fillets. 4-5 minutes a side. Salt, pepper, lemon. Don’t overthink it.
5. Raw King Prawns: The Quick Win
King prawns are basically impossible to mess up. They go pink when done, and they cook in about 2 minutes flat. Stir-fry, pasta, curry, paella: they work in everything.
If you’re nervous about cooking fish, start with prawns. We also sell fully peeled frozen prawns, which means you’ve eliminated the only fiddly bit. Two minutes from pan to plate.
Easiest method: Garlic butter prawns. Melt butter, add chopped garlic, add prawns, cook 2 minutes. Squeeze of lemon, chopped parsley. Eat on toast or with pasta. Done. See the full prawn linguine recipe if you want to go a step further.
6. Smoked Mackerel: No Cooking Required
If you’re really nervous about cooking fish from raw, start here. Smoked mackerel is already cooked. You just need to eat it.
Flake it cold over a salad. Make smoked mackerel pâté (mix with cream cheese, lemon, horseradish, done in five minutes). Stir into scrambled eggs. Mash on toast.
It’s a brilliant way to get comfortable handling fish without the pressure of timing a cook. And it’s cheap, healthy, and tastes great.
Three Beginner Mistakes to Avoid
After 40 years behind the counter, these are the three things I see new fish cooks get wrong:
1. Overcooking. Fish cooks fast. If you’re following a recipe and it tells you to cook a fillet for 15+ minutes, the recipe’s wrong. Most fillets need 6-10 minutes total. Set a timer. Check by gently flaking with a fork. If it’s just opaque and flakes apart, it’s done.
2. Not drying the skin. If you want crispy fish skin, pat the skin completely dry with kitchen paper before cooking. Wet skin steams, dry skin crisps. This is the single biggest thing that separates crisp fish from soggy fish.
3. Too much heat. People crank the heat up to “sear” the fish. Don’t. Medium-high is plenty. Too hot and the outside burns before the inside cooks. Especially with thicker fillets like cod.
What to Buy First: A Simple Starter Order
If you came into the shop and said “I want to try cooking fish for the first time, what do I get?”, here’s what I’d recommend:
- 2 salmon fillets (bake them, easy)
- 2 bass fillets (pan-fry, looks impressive)
- 250g raw king prawns, peeled (quick stir-fry)
- 1 pack smoked mackerel (no-cook backup)
Costs around £40, right at our minimum order, so delivery comes free. Three or four dinners. By the end of the week you’ll feel like a pro.
Final Word
Cooking fish is genuinely easier than cooking a roast chicken. The fish does most of the work. Your job is to not overcook it and not over-season it. Start simple. Build from there.
Come into the shop or browse online. We’ll talk you through anything you’re unsure about. That’s literally the point of having a proper fishmonger.