Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10085 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-07
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 264 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Hitherto, the contents of Rick Stein's Seafood have been accessible only to students of the Padstow Seafood School, as course notes in a loose-leaf binder. Now the teachings of this remarkable establishment are made available to a wider public, in amply illustrated form at once lucid and sumptuous. This is both a technical manual and an extraordinarily comprehensive collection of recipes; and the tone throughout is correspondingly sober and professional. The first hundred pages cover technique--not just cooking seafood, but buying and preparing it, too--in great thoroughness, from scaling and gutting fish, skinning eels (requiring a butcher's hook and a pair of pliers, if you can face it), through deep-frying, poaching, steaming, grilling, to opening oysters and tenderising octopus (not, as you might suppose, by bashing it repeatedly against a rock, but in the oven).

The recipes group fish not just by species, but by shape: large fleshy fish, flat fish, small round fish, crustaceans and so on--a sensible approach, since within these categories the fish are to an extent interchangeable. Austerely, the recipes are neither prefaced with an introductory blurb nor sourced, but they are of the most distinguished provenance. Salmon en Croute with Currants and Ginger, for example is a famous George Perry-Smith recipe; the neighbouring Escalopes of Salmon with Sorrel Sauce derives from the Triosgros brother; while the interestingly strange Pernod and olive oil dressing with which Stein anoints grilled Dublin Bay prawns comes from Alexandre Dumas by way of Elizabeth David (it also includes mustard, soy sauce and tarragon). This is not to accuse Stein of plagiarism: he has simply collected the very finest seafood recipes and filtered everything through his characteristic simplicity and emphasis on freshness, quality and flavour. The result is a book of quite exceptional quality and usefulness. One hesitates to use the word bible, but if seafood can have one, this may be it. --Robin Davidson

Synopsis
Over the years, through his television programmes and books, Rick Stein has done much to inform us about fish and to encourage us to cook it for ourselves, however, many of us still feel nervous about cooking it at home. "Rick Stein's Seafood", now available in paperback, brings together his knowledge and expertise, and includes 200 of his tried-and-tested recipes. It is divided into three separate sections: Techniques; Recipes and, finally, an A to Z of Fish. The techniques section covers all the main preparation and cooking methods for each type of fish (round, flat, shellfish etc), while the A-Z of fish is a comprehensive encyclopedia of fish and seafood - including US, Australian and European fish. The recipe section includes all the essential basic recipes, such as stocks, sauces, batters etc. Useful cross references link all sections. The hardback edition has been an international bestseller and was awarded the highly coveted James Beard Foundation Cookbook of the Year Award in 2005.

Customer Reviews

Professional or amateur
As a Professional chef, I am pleased that I can still find books that are truly inspirational and helpful. If you need to learn basic fish teqniques then this book you should buy. Rick knows what he's talking about especially when it comes to fish.

The book is divided into 3 parts. It starts with easy step by step techniques with photos of how to prep, cut and cook a variety of fish. The second part gives you recipes to try when you have mastered the techiques and then follows the third part which is gives detailed information and diagrams of fish varieties complete with their latin names.

I truly recommend this book for anybody who wants to learn new skills whether professional or amateur. It has helped me when producing new menus

Seafood Bible
I was totally impressed with the extensive information and variety of different seafood in this book. Even my husband can't get his nose out of the book. It truly is a must have for all seafood lovers! Thanks a lot Rick!

Marvellous!
This book has made cooking fish so much easier. The recipes are as good as any I have had in fish restaurants both here and abroad. The range of different cooking and preperation techniques has given me the confidence to try new types of fish that I would not have cooked before. Who knew Ray had cheeks?

Most of the recipes are easily carried out and I have discovered some quick and tasty meals for the week day in addition to the more complex preperation that I am happy to do at weeken