Keith Mitchell, Executive Chef at The Grand Hotel, is passionate about fishing. In this blog, an extract from the latest INSIGHT publication, he tells us about some of his best catches, plus shares tips on how to cook England’s ocean bounty…
I was born in a house with a river at the bottom of the garden, so from a very young age I was fishing with a net and a jam jar. Soon I persuaded my parents to buy me a rod and reel - I remember my mum telling me my hobby wouldn’t last.
My first proper catch was when I was about 10 years old - it was a rainbow trout and we cooked it, Mum started to come round a bit after that.
Before becoming a chef, I actually did an angling apprenticeship in my home town of Dover and in 1974, on my 16th Birthday, I caught a Lemon sole that was a club record for the town - 41 years later I still hold that record but I have never caught another one since.
Nowadays, my passion is for sea fishing, both on shore and in boat. My typical catch depends on the season, although cod and bass are probably the main targets. Others include pollock, plaice, bream, sole and turbot. My most impressive catch was a 10lb bass from a boat, but I actually think my best catch was the 9lb bass caught from the beach opposite The Grand.
It’s great to live and work so close to the sea. On my days off from The Grand, I use a great charter boat from Eastbourne marina or sometimes I can be found on the beach very close to the hotel after work. Now that’s quality of life!
Keith’s secrets of cooking fish
Firstly, don’t mess around with the fish too much and secondly, don’t overcook it. A few minutes can be the difference between sublime success and total failure!
The classic of cod fillet shallow fried in fresh white breadcrumb takes some beating when it’s freshly caught. Serve it with tomato salsa, a mild garlic mayonnaise, hand-cut chips and tossed salad. Just heaven.