Today's secret's - 04/03/14 - Fish for eating - save money and get the best.

Fish. Maybe an odd choice but there can be some real bargains to be had.

Did you know you can buy a salmon carcass from a fishmonger for a very cheap price? The meat on it is still salmon and can be used for fish pies, salads, soups and lots of other dishes.
Ask your fishmonger if there are any other bargains he has, he may have some fish he couldn't sell or some other bits you could use in a pie.

Buy cheap fresh fish at the end of the supermarket day (when it get's reduced to pennies) and then freeze it, you can wet it first to make a protective coat of water on the fish. It will keep for ages and can be used once defrosted like it is fresh, just don't freeze it again.

Make a tin of tuna go further. Add lots of sweetcorn and a little crumble of cheese and then mix with lots of mayonnaise or salad cream. It can now be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days and used on sandwiches, salads or in toasties. If you separate it before adding the condiment you can use half for a tuna bake and the rest can be kept as above.

If you want to buy a fish and need to check the freshness check the scales are bright, the gills are pink, the tail should be stiff and the eyes should be clear and not sunken.

Don't buy plaice that has roe in it as it will be tasteless.

Ray, skate and shark should be soaked in water for 20 min before cooking or they will taste of ammonia.

Don't always discard a mussel that doesn't open check there is enough room in the pan for them to open and stir regularly. Try to cook them in smaller batches as this lets them open freely.

Before you skin or gut a fish rub your fingers in salt to get a better grip. You can flash grill a fish first in a very hot grill as then the scorched skin is easier to remove. Clean the fish on newspaper or kitchen roll as this means no mess at the end, you can just throw out the paper.
Mustard will remove a fishy smell from a chopping board. For wooden/plastic chopping boards use a piece of lemon dipped in salt to remove stains and help with smells.
You can also use lemon on your hands to get rid of fishy smells.

Cover a fish with batter or breadcrumbs by putting them in a bag and then put in the fish and shake gently.
Half a teaspoon of sugar in a batter mix will make it stick better.
You can used crushed up crisps as a coating for fish. Yummy!

You don't need an expensive steamer for fish just place a colander over a pan of boiling water put the fish in and cover with a lid. If you are shallow frying the fish dip it in boiling water first so it won't fall apart once cooked.

To get a few drops of lemon juice for a dish by piercing a lemon with a cocktail stick and then squeezing. Then leave the cocktail stick in the hole and store the lemon for use another day.

Haddock is very salty so poach it in milk, trout goes well with balsamic vinegar and bacon laid over white fillets helps them to stay moist.

Add celery to the pot when cooking fish to help reduce the odour. Use vinegar in the wash or soak them in a little tea when cleaning the pots and pans it will stop them coming out as smelly as they went in.