2 weeks Ago By Natalie King
When it comes to seafood, Rick Stein has made a career out of everything from the sea. His culinary empire includes several restaurants, cookbooks, and even TV shows. Rick's gastronomic career began in Padstow, where he initially ran a seaside nightclub.
After losing its licence, he cleverly utilised the remaining restaurant permit to transform the venue into a place to eat. In 1975, The Seafood Restaurant was born and has remained part of the local dining scene despite the numerous challenges faced by the industry over the years. Rick's portfolio has since expanded to include a variety of restaurants, gastropubs, and cafes throughout the south west.
Among these is the popular Stein's Fish & Chips in Padstow, known for its £15.95 takeaway cod and chips that often draw lengthy queues of eager customers. But what are Rick's personal favourite fish dishes? In a TikTok video featuring his son and fellow chef, Jack Stein, Rick revealed his top picks, many of which are sourced from the Cornish coast.
Dubbed the "Official Rick Stein top 10 favourite fish" challenge, Jack challenged him to name: "from 10 to one, your favourite fish species." Some predictable choices made the list, including cod at number seven. Rick commented: "I'll probably go for cod, which is great in fish and chips, but it can be a bit bland.
But I love the fish, don't get me wrong." For the sixth spot, he praised "The hake. Slightly better flavour".
Hake is a popular choice for fish and chips in Rick's restaurants. Known for his seafood expertise, Rick shared a personal anecdote about his fifth choice: "Gurnard. It means a lot to me because it used to be lobster bait.
And just because me and a few others said, actually, this is very nice food." When it came to crowning the king of fish, Rick found himself in a dilemma: "Then it's almost, I don't know which to choose, but I would go Dover Sole two and turbot one. But it could be the other way round.
" Turbot, which tops Rick's list, is often caught off the south coast, with Cornwall's Newlyn Harbour being a hotspot for this prized catch. This delicate fish is in season from from April to August. 1.
Turbot 2. Dover Sole 3. Red mullet 4.
Tuna 5. Gurnard 6. Hake 7.
Cod 8. Mackerel 9. Sardines 10.
Monkfish.
