Book review: Whole Catch

Aishling Moore is one of Ireland’s most exciting young chefs with both her and her gill-to-fin fish restaurant Goldie (which she opened when she was just aged 24) having won awards since its launch. Now she’s written her first cookbook that is part of the Blasta Books series of A5 publications that are described as being ‘little books with big voices’.

In Whole Catch​, Moore shares the approach that underpins everything that she does at her Cork-based restaurant, where she serves the fish that had previously been thrown back and builds up a larder for the days when bad weather stops the boats from going out

With her restaurant, Moore says she intends to convert the wary into fully fledged seafood lovers, and the same can be said of her book that provides an accessible insight into the sometimes arcane world of seafood. Whole Catch begins with information on essential equipment needed for fish preparation - a list of just five items that includes a dough scraper - and tips for buying and storing fish before diving straight to the heart of the matter with a diagram on how to prepare a whole mackerel.

There follows separate sections on mackerel, hake, oysters and mussels, crab and langoustines, squid, and preserved fish, with Moore eschewing much of the traditional restaurant fish - dover sole, turbot, monkfish, salmon - for more commonly found cheaper varieties. This does not mean that the recipes are simple but they have a homely appeal. Stand out recipes include one for langoustine and sesame toast; and another for shaoxing soused mackerel.

The series of Blasta Books, of which Whole Catch​ is the tenth, is known for its smart yet unfussy treatment of its subject matter and Moore’s book is no exception. Photography is dispensed with entirely and the book instead relies on the deft drawings of Dublin artist Nicky Hooper, whose dish sketches help demystify the subject.

Other publications in the Blasta Books series include Tacos, Hot Fat, Tapas, Wok, and Soup and all follow a similar style to Whole Catch​.

Whole Catch​
Aishling Moore​
Number of pages: 72​
Must try recipe: Crab madame​
Publisher and price: Nine Bean Rows, £13​
Publication date: 25 April​