Shetland seafood: Why is so much fish landed in Shetland?

Ask most people to name a fish they enjoy eating, and they'll likely say haddock. Maybe salmon or cod. If they're feeling adventurous, perhaps mackerel. But the waters around Shetland are home to an extraordinary variety of seafood.

Species like tusk, ling, catfish, witch, coley, and saithe are landed fresh daily, handled with care, but are largely unknown to many people. Shetland Seafood: A Midsummer Celebration at Fort Charlotte in Lerwick set out to change that one delicious mouthful at a time.

When I arrived just after lunchtime, the celebration had drawn a crowd – folk spilling in and out of the TA Hall, milling around the stalls, chatting, tasting in the sunshine. Inside, demos were underway.

The guest of the day was CJ Jackson: chef, broadcaster and head of the Billingsgate Seafood School.

CJ had been at Lerwick fish market the previous day, ticking off something of a personal ambition. Her new book, The Great British Seafood Revival, took her and a photographer around ports and markets across the UK – nine months, at pace, covering as much of the coastline as they could manage.

Shetland didn't make the trip due to time constraints. She wrote about Shetland anyway, researching it carefully. Arriving here for the first time, she was delighted to find the reality more than matched what she'd written. Signed copies of the book are available at the Shetland bookshops

She was still buzzing from the market visit. "It's so slick, spotless," she said. “Here, hygiene is a really high priority. And it’s an amazing place. We walked in, and the whole history of how the fish gets caught and landed is right there on screens as you come into the building."

CJ explained that the water around Shetland helps create the perfect conditions for shellfish. It’s classed as grade A water, she explained, which is what makes Shetland shellfish and mussels something to shout about. Much of the UK coast is classed as grade B water, which means mussels have to go through a lengthy depuration process before they're fit for the table. Here, you can take them straight from the water.

Rebekah Dalgleish, who helped organise the event and grew up with a family business in Blueshell Mussels, agrees: the water is so clear and unpolluted that the filter feeders here are simply doing what filter feeders do, but in the best possible conditions.

As for the fish: CJ had worked that morning with species most of us walk past at the fishmonger or supermarket shelves without a second glance. Catfish, ling, tusk, witch, coley, saithe. All landed here in Shetland, and all are worthy of much more attention.

I confessed that I am a haddock person. Every week, I visit the fishmonger with good intentions. Every week, I hear myself asking for haddock, then go home and feel defeated.

CJ was not unsympathetic.

"Yes, you go into a fish shop, and you go, that looks really interesting – I'll have a nice piece of haddock, please. Because it's just that comfort zone."

CJ's gateway fish of choice is catfish. Ask the fishmonger to check for bones, take it home, dust it in flour seasoned with a little curry powder, pan fry for a couple of minutes, finish in the oven. Make a quick salsa of very finely chopped tomato, capers and a little chilli, spoon it over, serve with salad. Done.

The recipe, like many in The Great British Seafood Revival, is designed to build confidence. The book addresses the real reasons people avoid fish – bones, smell, not knowing what to do with something unfamiliar – and offers technique as much as recipes.

Shetland Food and Drink chairwoman Marian Armitage – already a fish convert – believes CJ’s approach in the book is perfect. "It's really good because it has lots of technique. And it addresses some of the reasons maybe why folk don't eat enough fish."

(The oven, by the way, should be hot. And the fish should be in it for approximately five to six minutes. Not 30. I know. I was surprised too.)

"I blame the major retailers," CJ said, without hesitation. "They put fish in a polystyrene box and because they want it cooked to 75 degrees, they tell people to cook it for 15, 20 minutes. It's simply far too long."

The secret is to stay nearby. Check it, press it gently with a finger or a spoon. The moment it starts to flake and loses its translucency, get it out. Like meat, it will carry on cooking once it leaves the oven.

Feeling inspired by Shetland seafood and our fantastic fresh fish. Check out some of our favourite recipes here.