A fishy tale

Every so often in my working day I have to help out on the fish counter next to the meat counter that is my main place to work and in which subject I am the most experienced. So, come breaks and my colleagues visits to the chiller and walk in freezer for stock replenishment I cover the fish counter as well as my own. I have have no proper experience of filleting fish or of offering good cooking advice (as yet) but I hope to quickly learn these skills. Last night I purchased a whole sea bass on offer at £2.50 and cooked it with a peppered butter and some new potatoes and haricot vertes.

Somehow you just have to have some wine and so I picked up a very nice South African Fish Hoek 2009 Shiraz from Tesco to go with it. It was all rather scrummy and the free peppered butter melted over the dish was sublime. Just what I needed after a hard day working since 6am. I was in bed by 10am and slept for twelve hours solid.

I have a long way to go before I am as experienced in offering cooking advice as the current fishmongers Paul, Martin and Cherie but I hope to catch up soon and be filleting like the best of 'em.

The other day I took some time to compile a rough list of what the fish counter in the Beeston branch have on offer. I'm assuming that the list is similar to Tescos around the country.

Smoked fish: Dyed whole kippers, Boneless smoked salmon fillets, Smoked haddock fillets, Scottish smoked boned kippers, Smoked Vietnamese river cobbler,Smoked un-dyed haddock fillets, Smoked cod loin.

Also: Atlantic cod fillets, Rainbow trout, Tilapia fillets, Whole sea bass, Whole mackerel, Sea bass fillets, Skinless, boneless haddock loin, Boneless salmon fillets, Skinless, boneless, Atlantic cod loin, Live sketland isle mussels, Whole squid, Whole salmon, Whole haddock, Cornish Monkfish tails, Coley fillets, Ray wings, Red Tilapia, Salmon fillets, Tuna steak, Haddock fillets, Boneless Salmon fillets, Whole Herring, Seafood cocktail, Whole raw langoustines, Haddock fishcakes, Fish pie mix, Garlic and herb salmon, Hot smoked mackerel fillets, Cooked and dressed brown crabs, Cooked whole lobsters, Jellied eels (now discontinued).

I occasionally get drafted over to the deli section to serve and this means a change of apron and a thorough hand washing as I am moving from raw produce to cooked. I enjoy this too and look forward to being more informed about the ranges of cheeses and cooked meats. Altogether I am loving my new job and the daily challenges it offers. Never bored and the time just zipps by.