Where Taste of the Sea was a kind of introduction to seafood cooking for those a bit hesitant about trying different kinds of fish, Fruits of the Sea is more like Stein's launching pad. He assumes he is preaching to an enthusiastic choir. Much of his information is right to the point, and his style of instruction is more refined. All the techniques for prepping different kinds of fish are described in clear language as well as illustrated in detailed photos. Included, too, is a discussion of many of the unusual ingredients Stein pulls into his recipes for that extra dash of brilliant flavour--preserved lemons, for example, or kaffir lime leaves. It comes as little surprise, then, that Stein opens with recipes like Basque Squid Stew, Moroccan Fish Tagine, Seafood in a Crab and Ginger Broth, and Mussels with Turmeric, Cumin, and Coriander.

He breaks his recipes into soup, stews, and clear broths; light lunch dishes; hot and spicy fish; deep-fried fish; summer fish and salads; fish from colder climates; elegant fish dishes; quick and simple fish; hand-held and party food; and food to finish with. As in the first book, you'll also find basic stocks and sauces and a list of alternative fish for the American and Australian markets. The user-friendly Fruits of the Sea will launch anyone, even a reader who may have been a bit reluctant to take the plunge, on a discovery of seafood. --Schuyler Ingle

With his classic 'Taste of the Sea' and now its perfect new partner, 'Fruits of the
Sea', Rick has at last restored fish cookery to its rightful place on Britain's culinary
map.'

224 high quality pages with colour photographs throughout. Split into chapters:-
Intro, Preparing Fish, Unusual Ingredients, Soups, Stews and clear Broths, Light
Lunch Dishes, Hot and Spicy Fish, Deep-fried Fish, Summer Fish and Salads, Fish
from Colder Climates, Elegant Fish Dishes, Quick and Simple Fish, Hand-held and
Pastry Food, Food to Finish With, Basics, Listing of American, Australian and New
Zealand Fish, Alternative Fish, Concise Index.
Our favourite recipes:-
'Cullen Skink', 'Seafood Paella', 'Fillet of Bass on a Crisp Risotto Cake with Saffron
Sauce', 'The Finest Seafood in a Small Ragout with a Deep Red Wine Sauce',
'Mussels with a Cream and White Wine Sabayon', 'Whelk Fritters'and 'Mussels
with Tomato, Celery and Saffron Butter'.
And as for those puds:-
'Pear Bavarois with a Fresh Passion Fruit Coulis', 'Creme Brulee Ice Cream', 'Hot
Bread Pudding with Armagnac Sauce' and ......, wait for it..........'Sticky Toffee
Pudding'.....!
A superb book and at a brilliant price, as always, on Amazon today.


A superb introduction to seafood   June 5, 2005
 22 out of 55 found this review helpful

I have to admit it, I love Rick Stein ... purely platonically, you understand. He presents some of the most distinctive and thoroughly enjoyable cookery programmes on British television. I love seafood ... purely gastronomically, you understand. As a Scot it would be a treasonable offence to suggest that I did not. And Stein brings to the cooking of seafood a cerebral, acerbic, yet almost visceral passion which is more infectious than a hospital superbug and which inspires you to venture into new experiences and new flavours.

Fortunately, I have an excellent fishmonger in the centre of town. That helps a lot. There are few areas in the British Isles which are more than a few miles distant from the seashore (or loch, lough, lake, river, or stream). One of Stein's most potent messages is his frequent exhortation to make use of your local fishmonger and support local seafood restaurants. We can all play a part in encouraging local fishing and sustainable harvesting of the seas and rivers.

Stein offers an excellent introduction, here, evoking the flavour of a small fishing port, extolling the virtues of fish as a healthy foodstuff, and talking the reader through the subject - the book pictures a wide variety of seafood and parallels this with an apprenticeship in how to prepare each. As I say, visceral pleasures (the gutting of squid is a particularly amazing experience). But, for the squeamish, a good fishmonger will tackle the beheading and evisceration for you!

Stein offers a wide range of recipes - he describes fish stocks and sauces, leads you into the wonderful adventure that is soup, talks you though stews and pies, and on to stand alone fish dishes (if you can cope with the notion of a fish standing). He looks at indigenous British seafood and Mediterranean varieties - flat and round, shellfish and crustacean.

The pages are beautifully illustrated, the recipes well explained and easy to follow. It's a book which is complemented by watching Stein on the TV - try to capture some of that amazing enthusiasm and passion. It's never mentioned in any recipe, but the one thing you need to bring to fish cooking is passion - sprinkle each meal with love. Treat the fish with respect - nurture the flavours and offer them up as a benison.

The value of the book, the value of Rick Stein's television programmes is in stimulating that passion, encouraging you to enjoy, to experiment, to explore, to get a feel for your local food suppliers. If you're inexperienced in cooking, you can feel self-conscious about asking your fishmonger (or butcher, or greengrocer) for advice: most are only too happy to help, and the good ones are a mine of hints and information. Rick Stein's Taste of the Sea is one of my favourite cookbooks, one to which I regularly return for ideas and inspiration. Mouthwatering!


Essential   April 13, 2005
 13 out of 43 found this review helpful

I have used this book so many times that the pages have become completely covered with stray ingredients, and I am thinking of boiling it up to make a nice stock.


Mouth watering seafood recipes   March 4, 2005
 3 out of 34 found this review helpful

Oh my! If I had access to fresh seafood, I wouldn't mind trying many of the recipes. I read this book like a novel, front to back!! I did manage to try a few simple recipes, like the salt and pepper prawns. Maybe not as many photos of the recipes as I would have liked, but the ones pictured were superb.
A constant reference, and gives a good guide for preparing seafood in the beginning.


A "must have" recipe book   December 7, 2000
 23 out of 26 found this review helpful

Rick Stein's passion for seafood is only equaled by his skill and artistry in seafood preparation. This is a "must have" recipe book, especially if your not over keen on sea food. Stein's straight forward and simplistic approach make sea food in general a much more palatable choice to what is basically an underrated and easily accessible food source. You will be amazed at how easily and quickly you can produce mouth watering dishes with the humble Cod,sea bass or just a crab, and quicker than the Que for a fast food burger! Rick Stein's down to earth character helps give a real feeling that you can tackle all the recipe's and the instructions are as clear and precise as they need to be, after all says Rick "a recipe is just a basic guide not something to be followed religiously". This book has certainly opened my eyes to seafood and steers you away from the days of "steamed fish" that probably turns most people away from seafood in the first place. This is one book that will help you see just what you have been missing and After all we do live on an Island surrounded by sea