OUT AND ABOUT
The Fish Market In this month’s Health & Wealth issue we incorporate both subjects in our Beresford Street Market feature… By Juanita Shield-Laignel Bay King Oysters commanding the highest prices in some parts of the world. Jersey has its own Kings and Queens of fish and Fin & Feather have them all; freshly caught local bream and bass, monkfish and mussels, peeled prawns, cooked gambas, crayfish tails, large king prawns, langoustine and scallops; the list goes on and the choice is yours. Fish is considered by many to be among the healthiest of foods known and loaded with important nutrients, such as protein and vitamin D. Fish is also among the highest sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which are incredibly important for our body and brain and for overall health. Our bodies do not produce their own omega-3s hence being ‘essential fatty acids’. Research throws up study upon study across the scientific world, endorsing the health benefits of eating fish. But Vegans take heart, there are also vegetable alternatives including Flax seed oil.
When visiting the Fish Market one is immediately greeted by a waft of the sea filling ones nostrils and not surprisingly as there are so many varieties of fish and molluscs in all shapes, sizes and a kaleidoscope of colours, all beautifully displayed on beds of iridescent ice by enthusiastic stall holders keen to embroil their customers in the pleasures of the sea. There is just such a huge selection on offer amongst the Fishmongers, each with their own inimitable style and selling points but each imbued with incredible skills in the way they fillet and prepare their produce and each with their own individual menu suggestions. Fin & Feather is in the care of the successful partnership of Colin De La Mare and Graham Carver who, not only stock the expected daily norms, core to each of the businesses such as haddock, cod and salmon but also carry the slightly more exotic; brill, red mullet and palourdes (a lesser known type of clam) and one of their specialties, Conger eel. Once the seafood of Kings even carrying its own tax and highly prized, though our voracious appetite for it seems to have faded it does still have its place in modern society and Fin & Feather still stocks it, head and all for those who don’t mind looking into those steely glazed eyes. These days we assign value to other fishy treats such as caviar and lobster with delicacies such as Bluefin tuna, Beluga caviar, Scottish lobster coated in edible gold (yes I know!) and Coffin
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Listed amongst the health benefits of including sufficient Omega 3s in our diets are; reduced risk of heart disease, proper foetal development, improved retinal function, weight management, regulating cholesterol and lowering high blood pressure. There are in fact so many reported benefits, we could write an article in that alone! Astonishingly, heart disease and stroke are amongst the leading causes of death, but it is generally accepted that communities who eat diets rich in fish, have remarkably low instances of these diseases, which must be at least partially due to their high omega-3 consumption. Fancy something Gamey rather than fishy. Fin & Feather have a huge variety of fresh Game on offer at this time of year, including Wild Duck, Pigeon, Venison, Partridge, Quail and Quail eggs and many more. Game is a growing fashion for meals set at the Christmas table. But it isn’t just the contents of the market that attracts Tourists and local visitors alike it is also its architectural and historic value. Although fondly referred to as the fish market it was in fact named after Lord Beresford who was the last Governor of Jersey; since that time we have been appointed a Lieutenant Governor of Jersey. After a long and distinguished career in the military, Beresford was domiciled here in Jersey until his death during 1854. Beresford Market was built during his lifetime in true Victorian style but has had a few facelifts over the years.