What new foods have you tried recently?

[Epona]

I love anchovies. Good ones are rare here, but earlier this week we were in Eyemouth where we got some smoked ones.

They are absolutely amazing! Lovely balance of smoke, oil, and saltiness.

It's almost an hour's drive to get there but we will be going back to buy more.

I don't eat them "as is", but I do use them a lot in tomato based sauces, good umami (unless cooking for vegetarians ofc.)

 

[dessiato]

I don't eat them "as is", but I do use them a lot in tomato based sauces, good umami (unless cooking for vegetarians ofc.)

I think the main problem is that in the UK it's either salt cured tins/jars or vinegar soake white ones. The range of them when I lived in Spain was much wider. My absolute favourites are deep fried fresh ones, a little like whitebait.

 

[Epona]

I think the main problem is that in the UK it's either salt cured tins/jars or vinegar soake white ones. The range of them when I lived in Spain was much wider. My absolute favourites are deep fried fresh ones, a little like whitebait.

I go for the jars with olive oil, it does make them a bit tricky to remove given that the oil goes a bit solid when cold (fortunately I do not buy the things for how they look and rarely want a pristine single anchovy fillet), but on the upside there's no waste - you can use all the fishy olive oil with little bits of fish that have flaked off to add to sauces, toss pasta in etc.

 

[dessiato]

I go for the jars with olive oil, it does make them a bit tricky to remove given that the oil goes a bit solid when cold (fortunately I do not buy the things for how they look and rarely want a pristine single anchovy fillet), but on the upside there's no waste - you can use all the fishy olive oil with little bits of fish that have flaked off to add to sauces, toss pasta in etc.

I do the same but buy tinned because sometimes I need nice fillets. Not that you can get nice ones here. There's such a huge range of types back home, and I miss it.

 

[The39thStep]

I think the main problem is that in the UK it's either salt cured tins/jars or vinegar soake white ones. The range of them when I lived in Spain was much wider. My absolute favourites are deep fried fresh ones, a little like whitebait.

I’ve bought the fresh ones in fish shops/ stalls in the U.K. but can’t remember seeing many/ any in supermarkets.

 

[dessiato]

I’ve bought the fresh ones in fish shops/ stalls in the U.K. but can’t remember seeing many/ any in supermarkets.

There's a couple of traditional fishmongers near here but even they don't have a big selection apart from cod, haddock, salmon, etc. The local supermarkets have all closed the fish, butchers and deli counters. There's a couple of boats from which you can buy fish but they don't sail regularly.

 

[The39thStep]

There's a couple of traditional fishmongers near here but even they don't have a big selection apart from cod, haddock, salmon, etc. The local supermarkets have all closed the fish, butchers and deli counters. There's a couple of boats from which you can buy fish but they don't sail regularly.

Not sure but there might be a season for them , perhaps ask as the fishmongers with view to an order ?

 

[dessiato]

Not sure but there might be a season for them , perhaps ask as the fishmongers with view to an order ?

I did that. He said I'd need to buy at least 2kg

 

[Spymaster]

I’ve bought the fresh ones in fish shops/ stalls in the U.K. but can’t remember seeing many/ any in supermarkets.

You can get the variations here if you try hard enough but Des is right. Generally speaking it's those horrible vinegary white things, or salted brown ones in olive oil. I've never really appreciated the difference in quality of the browns but they're one of my favourite things.

There's a Spanish supermarket near us who does some cracking stuff but their pricing takes the piss. I dropped in to get some chorizo, and picked up some cheese and olives. Grabbed a tiny jar of salted anchovies on the way to the till. I just tapped the card without checking the amount and the bloke gave me a receipt which came to nearly 50 quid. I said it seemed expensive for 4 things and the he took it a bit personally and insisted I check the receipt, which I did. Turns out the litte jar of anchovies was £16.50 (£3.50 in Tesco) and there was a handwritten yellow label on it which confirmed this. I didn't make too much fuss cos I couldn't be arsed to sort out a refund, and matey assued me they were the best brown salty anchovies on the planet.

I chucked the receipt and peeled the price label off the jar before I got home. If Kris had seen those I'd have been in serious trouble.

 

[polly]

There's a couple of traditional fishmongers near here but even they don't have a big selection apart from cod, haddock, salmon, etc. The local supermarkets have all closed the fish, butchers and deli counters. There's a couple of boats from which you can buy fish but they don't sail regularly.

Buying fish in this country is very depressing. Best bet I've found is those vans, which pick up in the early hours and drive around selling that day's catch out the back. Do you have one of those near you maybe?

eta or a market. There's a man at my local market who gets quite unusual stuff too. Unsmoked cod roes, eg, which I struggled to get anywhere else (I'm not in a city).

 

[The39thStep]

I did that. He said I'd need to buy at least 2kg

Yes , that’s the problem with minimum orders , a few too many .

 

[Spymaster]

Buying fish in this country is very depressing.

Where are you?

 

[Epona]

2kg is quite a lot of anchovies - might be worth seeing if anyone else (or several) nearby wants to split an order.

 

[dessiato]

Buying fish in this country is very depressing. Best bet I've found is those vans, which pick up in the early hours and drive around selling that day's catch out the back. Do you have one of those near you maybe?

eta or a market. There's a man at my local market who gets quite unusual stuff too. Unsmoked cod roes, eg, which I struggled to get anywhere else (I'm not in a city).

Unfortunately there isn't a market nearby. The local van man is the one who has the shop I mentioned.

There's another van man but he's not been about for ages. I think he might have closed

 

[polly]

Where are you?

Small town in Essex, where good food is admittedly hard to come by in any form. But compared to the continent, fish is a pretty dire offering everywhere (spent first 34 years of my life in London!).

 

[polly]

Funnily enough I took this in a very run of the mill French supermarket last week

 

[dessiato]

Funnily enough I took this in a very run of the mill French supermarket last week

View attachment 367173

That's the sort of thing we had in Spain, but a wider choice. I loved it.

 

[Wolveryeti]

Tried some of this - not a fan. Very hot, but without much else going on. Imagine a very cheap green pesto that has had a tablespoon of Cayenne dumped on it...

 

[The39thStep]

That's the sort of thing we had in Spain, but a wider choice. I loved it.

I’m very fortunate here , there are three fish stalls within 10 kilometres and a fish market in addition to a local Intermarche with a good fish counter .

 

[hash tag]

Was someone after anchovies?

 

[ouirdeaux]

Yes please.

 

[RubyToogood]

Plant patty sub.

I didn't think it was possible for a food to taste of literally nothing. I was wrong.

 

[what]

made a stir fry with vietnamese chilli and lemongrass shrimp paste. Fantastic

 

[bluescreen]

OH's new diet rules out rice (and most baked goods too ) so I made kedgeree using freekeh instead.
Recommended.

 

[ouirdeaux]

I have always thought mushy peas were the most awfully British thing imaginable. Peas are unspeakably dull to start with; about the only thing they have going for them is their texture, and that's hardly going to win prizes. So let's ruin it, shall we?

But I'd never actually tried them. Why waste money and tastebuds on something that couldn't possibly work?

Today I ate them, because they were there. They were exactly as I'd imagined, only sadder.

 

[Epona]

(((Pulses)))

 

[Steel Icarus]

Peas are great in all forms. Mushy peas are lovely especially with a bit of mayo mixed in. And on the side of a fish, obvs

 

[dessiato]

Peas are great in all forms. Mushy peas are lovely especially with a bit of mayo mixed in. And on the side of a fish, obvs

I prefer pickled onion vinegar in my mushies, I will try mayo.

 

[Steel Icarus]

I prefer pickled onion vinegar in my mushies, I will try mayo.

Doesn't need a lot

 

[hash tag]

I do not recommend it and think it might be paying a return visit soon