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eat brill

Brill is a very fine fish and some of the best examples land on British shores. Similar to turbot in having succulent, slightly sweet flesh, it benefits from being easier to prepare and a little less expensive than its illustrious cousin.

HISTORY

Fishermen have been supplying brill to coastal European countries for more than 300 hundred years (they were being sold in London's Billingsgate Market in the early 1700's).

BIOLOGY

The brill (Scophthalmus rhombus) is a flatfish closely related to the turbot but less rounded and with none of the bony tubercles. Its speckled skin varies in colour according to its habitat, and can be anything from sandy brown or olive green to darker chocolate or slate.

Brill are found in waters from Iceland through to the Mediterranean and Black Sea. They feed on crustaceans and small fish living near the sea bed.

NUTRITION

Brill is a good source of protein and provides vitamins B and E and magnesium.

TIPS

BUYING
A 1.5kg brill will yield four reasonably sized fillets. Avoid small, immature fish (less than 1kg). Choose thicker brill with bright, unsunken eyes.

STORING
Refrigerate as soon as possible after purchase and use within a day, or freeze for up to three months.

PREPARING
Brill are very easy to fillet before or after cooking. They are particularly good when cooked on the bone, either by grilling, frying or baking. As with any white fish, cook until the flesh is just opaque, firmish to the touch and easy to flake.

Brill is excellent when cooked with little fuss - just a brushing of butter, a squeeze of lemon juice and some fresh parsley. It also lends itself well to simple oriental flavourings such as cardamom, ginger and soy sauce.

OTHER STUFF

The Public Art Research Archive from Sheffield Hallam University has an interesting photographic database of works of public art, including this brill that can be found in a pavement in Hull.

PICK OF THE RECIPES

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ONLINE

• Somerset Fish Casserole

• Brill with Lettuce and Peas

• Dugléré Brill Fillet

IN PRINT

• Sicilian Roasted Brill Steaks with Lemon, Anchovies, Capers and Rosemary
  Happy Days with the Naked Chef

• Baked Brill with Crème Fraiche, Cherry Tomatoes and Parmesan
  fish

• Brill on the Bone with Celery, Cider and Apples
  The Complete Cookery Year