Cookbook Review: Fresh Fish by Jennifer Trainer Thompson

Title: Fresh Fish: Seafood Recipes, Techniques, and Traditions
Author: Jennifer Trainer Thompson
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: March 22nd 2016
Source: Netgalley & Storey Publishing, LLC


Book Description:

Cooking fish and other seafood at home is much easier than you think! Fresh Fish offers simple step-by-step instructions for all of the essential cooking methods, including baking, pan-frying, braising, broiling, steaming, poaching, roasting, marinating, and grilling — along with 175 mouthwatering recipes that bring out the best in everything from fish fillets and whole fish to shrimp, mussels, lobster, clams, calamari, and more. You’ll also learn how to buy fish (even whole fish) with confidence, how to serve fish raw, how to clean freshly dug clams, and much more. Beautiful photography celebrates both the food and the lazy charm of summers at the beach; this is a delightful read as well as the cookbook you need to easily enjoy your favorite seafood at home.

Review:

★★★★

Overall, I really liked looking over Fresh Fish.

The recipes are divided by course and ingredient, and include sections such as "Things in a Shell", "Things that Swim", and "On the Beach". By course is my personal organization preference when it comes to cookbooks, so I was happy with this. The recipes are well written. The pages are dotted with personal connections- it feels like each recipe was carefully selected with purpose to be included in this book, which makes me want to try them more. The author shares personal stories that make the book more interesting than just a skeletal book of instructions and grocery lists.

Another thing that I found helpful about this book is the handy tips that pop up throughout, such as well detailed instructions for how to clean shrimp and mussels. I don't work with shellfish often, so these hints will definitely not go unnoticed.

The photography was gorgeous, and it'll be tough to flip through this one on an empty stomach because you'll want to eat ALL the things! That said, I wish there were more photos of the completed dishes.

Some of the things that I'd most like to try include smoked whitefish pate with fresh figs, gorgonzola dolce, and local honey, and blueberry peach cobbler with vanilla (yes I know this isn't fish, but it still sounds delicious!).

I'd recommend this to anyone who loves seafood. This is an accessible book that can be used by beginners and experienced cooks alike.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.