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The big five fish species, cod, haddock, salmon, tuna and prawns, make up 80% of the fish and seafood we consume in the UK. By choosing sustainable seafood, you can still enjoy your favourite meals while protecting the ocean, just be sure to look for the blue MSC ecolabel.

However, there are many species caught closer to home off our coast that also make a great alternative if you want to try something new and get all the benefits of a more varied seafood diet. 

The following five recipes from five chefs and MSC UK ambassadors showcase how easy it is to swap out any of the big five species for others caught around the UK and Ireland.

These recipes were produced in collaboration with Delicious Magazine and shot by David Loftus.

Sardine escabeche
Thomasina Miers headshot
Sardine boat sailing past lighthouse
SARDINES

Sardine escabeche

"An astonishingly under-rated dish with its origins somewhere en route between Sicily and Mexico; in both countries balancing sweet-sour flavours in food is something of an art form. Be patient with slow-cooking the onions to bring out their sweetness and appreciate how all the work can be done in advance making it beautifully simple to serve for a lunch party over the summer, and one that never fails to impress. A meaty and oily fish, Cornish sardines can make a simple swap for a 'Big Five species' like salmon, if you're looking to try and eat more UK-caught species of fish. Sardines are also extremely good for you – they’re packed with vital nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids and potassium to support a healthy heart and reduce blood pressure."

Thomasina Miers is a cook, writer, presenter, and winner of MasterChef 2005. She co-founded Wahaca in 2007, winner of numerous awards for its food and sustainability credentials.
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COLEY

Fish pie hash

"If you prefer oily fish, this recipe works really well with tinned sardines. There’s no need to poach the sardines so you can skip step 2 and simply flake them into the hash at step 4. MSC certified Cornish sardines would be a delicious additionion. You'd also be supporting fishing that takes care of the ocean."

This recipe by Georgina Hayden was produced for Delicious Magazine. Georgina is a food writer, cook and presenter from North London. 
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Fish pie hash
Georgie Hayden headshot
Cornish sardine fishermen
Hake with avocado and mojo verde
Head and torso shot of man in and white apron holding wine glass: Portrait of chef Mitch Tonks
Cornish hake fisherman
Hake

Hake with avocado and mojo verde

“Mojo verde is a vibrant sauce from the Canaries and works wonderfully with all seafood. The haddock cooks in minutes, so this dish makes a perfect, quick supper. You could also grill, roast or cook the fish in a bag with a small knob of butter, salt and pepper.

As an alternative to haddock, you could use hake - it has a similar flakey and juicy white flesh. Hake is an incredible sustainability success story in the south west where local fishermen have worked tirelessly over the years to improve the quality and stocks and get MSC certification.” 

Mitch Tonks is the founder of Rockfish and a highly acclaimed seafood chef and restaurateur.

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Cockles

Cockle and dill rice

“This might be an outlandish statement, but I’ve never come across a dish like this. My Mum’s spicy prawn and dill rice was one of her signature dishes and whenever I make it, I’m reminded of what an incredible person she was. My Mum was a gynaecologist and she ran a women’s clinic in Karachi, Pakistan: many of her patients, who belonged to the local fishing community, would bring her their catch of the day as a token of their appreciation, with tips and tricks on how to cook it – rumour has it, this is where this recipe came from. What makes this recipe different is that it only asks for three spices: salt, turmeric and cumin seeds, and the main flavour comes from the fresh dill – a perfect pairing with sustainable seafood. As another bivalve shellfish species, cockles work equally well as a swap for prawns if you want to give a UK-caught species a try. Both prawns and cockles have a soft, slightly sweet and tender texture and are packed with B12 and essential Omega-3s.” 

Zainab Pirzada is a London based recipe developer and content creator with a passion for big plates and bigger flavours
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Cockle and dill rice
Zainab Pirzada holding up plate of food
Poole Harbour cockles
Coley with cheesy polenta
James Strawbridge cooking MSC scallops
Drone shot of Kirkella boat
COLEY

Coley with cheesy polenta

“This recipe is my twist on a classic, well-loved dish – Hunter’s Chicken. I've brought in Louisiana-style flavours to give it a sweet and smoky kick and this balances nicely with the cheesy, comforting, filling, and fibre-rich corn grits. You could either use cod or coley as the hero sustainable seafood ingredient – as both have beautiful, flaky and meaty textures. The bacon acts as a way of sealing the fish and keeping it juicy and tender, but if you don’t eat meat, you could consider cooking the fish en papillotte with a few extra sprigs of thyme, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Green beans and carrots are in season in August and provide a gentle crunch to the dish. When you buy seafood with the blue MSC ecolabel, you’re supporting sustainable fishing communities all over the UK and Ireland who are helping protect our Ocean.” 

James Strawbridge is a chef, food photographer and sustainable living expert as well as an MSC UK Ambassador.
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