World Aquatic Animal Day

Keeping aquatic animals off your plate is a great step in supporting sealife.

It’s World Aquatic Animal Day on the 3rd April. Many animals live in the water for most of their lives from fish, amphibians, marine mammals, crustaceans, reptiles, aquatic birds, insects, starfish and so many more. Keep them off your plates with our ‘flavours of the sea tips’ and find out more about fish below.

Keep aquatic animals off your plate with ‘flavours of the sea tips’ from SAM the Head of our cookery school

• Always top of the list, seaweed. There’s nothing else that can add that ‘flavour of the sea’ like something that grows there! Nori flakes work brilliantly, or shred sushi sheets. I like a combination of nori, dulse, and wakame. Pop a generous sprinkle into veggie fishcakes or creamy veggie fish pie.
• Lemon juice and zest. One of the ways to flavour fish dishes is to create an impression rather than mimicking. Lemon is traditional in lots of fish dishes; it’s helps create an overall ‘fishy’ dish rather than tasting of actual fish.
• Old Bay Seasoning. This is a staple herb and spice blend in the US, but you can now find it in supermarkets in the U.K. It is widely used in all kinds of seafood dishes. It will give your veggie fish dishes a lovely balance of flavours and umami.
• My secret ingredient in so many dishes…. Nature’s Charm Vegan Fish Sauce. Use it in any recipe that calls for fish sauce. As the bottle says, ‘Save Sealife, chose vegan fish sauce!’ Be careful, a little goes a long way!
• Lastly, don’t forget about texture! Flavour is only one part of a dish! For flaky textures, use braised tofu or banana blossom. For chewier options try tempeh fillets or firm up tofu by boiling or freezing to reduce the water content.

fish free recipes

• Ocean Pie – Mushroom and Tofu Filling Flavoured with Seaweed
• Battered Tofu “Fish”

FISH FACTS.

• Fish do feel pain and they do suffer.
• The number of fish left in our oceans is seriously declining.
• Vegetarians don’t eat fish and they never have

Find out more about fish.