Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall: River Cottage

Fish is a legitimate part of our diet – indeed, many argue that it was the nutritional value of fish that kick-started the evolution of human intelligence. Now we have to apply that intelligence to managing our fish stocks for future generations. A fish shopper who cares about that will go out of their way to find fish from a sustainable source. That generally means knowing where it comes from, and how it was caught.

There are sustainable alternatives to the all too popular cod and haddock. Pollack, from the same family, is greatly underrated, and works well in any cod recipe. Line caught mackerel can be cheap, and is both delicious and healthy. Fish like gurnard and grey mullet are barely recognised in Britain, yet both are outstanding. We have to start caring more about our fish, and recognising just how special it is.

Hugh has written extensively about sustainable fish recipes, both on his website and in his award-winning River Cottage Fish Book, written in collaboration with Nick Fisher, which has been shortlisted by the Guild of Food Writers for their Cookery Book of the Year competition.