We went to the fish market (Billingsgate Fish Market, Canary Wharf)

This going to the fish market business is tiring stuff, you know. Most weeks, we say, let’s go to the fish market this weekend, we’ll get loads of fish and make lots of seafood stuff. Sounds great, definitely, let’s go.

Come Saturday, the alarm rings, we snooze, get up at lunchtime, no fish market.

Last weekend though, we managed it. Despite snoozing half an hour after the original set-off time, we managed to get to the fish market, find a parking space, dodge the people carrying rucksacks of fish, and find our way to our fish. Didn’t get the scallops though, but nevermind.

Most of the people who come here (when we’re usually there anyway) look like individual buyers, ie for private consumption. Mostly tired-looking, everyone is here for a good deal. Whether it is cheap fish, or bigger fish, or fresher fish, the main thing is to get something you can’t get from the supermarkets. The industrial buyers have probably been and gone by the time these individual buyers get there, so even though we think we have it fresh, the REALLY fresh ones have already been bought.

Anyway, quite fresh is better than not fresh, hey.

Something fishy is going on.

Lots of tired, fishy, grumpy people.

This was our catch.

Tiger prawns £12 per kg

Squid £8.50 per kg

This was what we made for dinner with our (quite) fresh fish.

Chilli and garlic tiger prawn tagliatelle

We bought some fresh pasta, finely chopped some garlic and chilli, threw in some flat leaf parsley, threw in some prawns, and voila. (Not so) fresh prawns and pasta. Lovely. Until it makes you feel slightly sick. But while you’re eating it, it’s fine, so no worries.

Deep fried squid – Gordon Ramsay style (for recipes, click here)

This was actually really nice. The first batch went slightly soft because the heat wasn’t on high enough, but the second batch went a lovely brown colour, and crisped up nicely too. The five spice really adds to the flavour, and makes it taste a little more savoury than if you marinated it the usual way.