PESCETARIAN
101
a Guide to Becoming Pescetarian
FOREWORD
Now that our blog has been active for a little while
now, Matt and I decided to create this ebook so that
we could answer some of those questions that I know
we had when we first became pescetarian, as well as
some of the questions we’ve received from you guys
on the blog and through social media.
So this ebook is going to take you through some of the
basics of pescetarianism, including how to nurture a
healthy pescetarian diet and how to shop for fish and
seafood in a sustainable way. We’ve even included a
few of our favourite recipes to help you get started!
What is a
Pescetarian?
Quite simply, a pescetarian is someone who eats
fish and seafood, but no other meat. Pescetarians
do eat dairy products, such as milk and cheese, in
addition to vegetables, nuts pulses and fruit.
The term pescetarian comes from “pesce” which is
the Italian word for fish and whilst the term has
been around for a number of years (it found its way
into the dictionary in 1993) it has only become
widely known and heard in the last 5 years or so.
Why We Became
Pescetarians
Laura: I’ve tried loads of different diets over the years. I
grew up eating meat, however in my adolescence and
adulthood I tried being both vegetarian and vegan before
settling on being a pescetarian. I made this choice for a
number of reasons. Firstly, I’m quite a health-conscious
person and eating pescetarian means I get a wide-ranging
and healthy diet. Secondly, I absolutely love seafood!
Adore it. So when I went pescetarian, it gave me a great
opportunity to explore cooking with different types of fish
and seafood. I became more and more adventurous with
what I was willing to try and as a result, felt more confident
cooking for other people. Now, when I cook for meat
eaters, I don’t worry that they’ll be disappointed with what
I’m cooking up.
Matt: So I was a meat eater when I met Laura. I had always
suffered from fair painful stomach aches and was never
quite sure what was causing them. Then when Laura and I
moved in together, I started eating less and less meat and
found that it really helped with my stomach pains, so
eating pescetarian was a perfect compromise for me,
allowing me to get regular protein and keeping me healthy.
I’ve always enjoyed cooking, especially for other people, so
becoming pescetarian provided me with a fresh challenge
– making fresh and exciting recipes without meat.
What You'll Need
to Know
Whenever you make a big lifestyle change such as a new
diet, there are always going to be adjustments and a
settling-in period where you learn how to fit your new diet
into your existing routines. Below, we have included a few
different things that you might want to consider when
becoming a pescetarian.
Shopping
When you go pescetarian you may need to adapt your
shopping habits slightly. Firstly, fish and seafood doesn’t
really have the longest shelf life, so we shopped a little
more regularly for seafood than we previously would have.
We also spent more time considering where we purchased
our seafood – we wanted it to be really fresh, so we found
out where our local fish mongers and markets were and
made regular use of these. We also had to consider the
sustainability of the seafood we bought, which we will
discuss in the next section.
Tell the World!
No one likes it when they suddenly have to cater for a
different diet that they knew nothing about. For example, if
someone else is cooking Christmas dinner this year, it’s
important to let that person know that you’re pescetarian.
People will be far more understanding if they’re given time
to plan and prepare. And be specific when you explain your
diet; if you’re not happy having your vegetables roasted
animal fats, tell the chef. Whilst you may feel difficult
making demands, it’s better than pushing food that you
won’t eat around your plate – the host will notice!
Foods that Aren't Pescetarian-Friendly
There are a number of foods out there that are surprisingly
not meat-free. This may not bother you (which is
absolutely fine) but if you are looking to remove all meat
products from your diet, here are a few foods to watch out
for:
Sweets containing gelatine. These are often gummy
sweets such as haribos and they contain pork or beef
gelatine. Marshmallows are another food item that
often contains gelatine.
Cheeses containing rennet. Quite a large number of
cheeses contain rennet, so you’re best off looking for
ones that indicate that they’re vegetarian. We use
parmesan fairly often in our recipes and this is always a
vegetarian parmesan, which is fairly easy to come by.
Crisps. A lot of crisp flavours contain meat and weirdly
enough, it’s often the ones that aren’t meat flavoured!
Go figure.
Sustainable
Shopping
When you become a pescetarian, it is likely that you’ll be
buying a lot more fish and seafood. So it’s vital that when
shopping for seafood, you make sure that you’re shopping
sustainably. Here are a few sustainable shopping tips for
budding pescetarians:
Tip #1
When buying seafood in a supermarket, look for the
Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) label, which indicates
that the seafood has come from sustainable fisheries. If
you’re supermarket doesn’t stock this, ask! Local markets
may not consider stocking sustainable seafood unless
they know that the demand for it is there, so don’t be afraid
to make a suggestion to the store manager.
If you want info on places near you stocking MSC
approved seafood, click here.
Tip #2
Try diversifying the fish you buy and eat. One of the
biggest global fishing issues is that people stick to what
they know and as a result, these more common fish
choices, such as Atlantic cod and Salmon and swordfish
are overfished. There is a huge variety of delicious fish and
seafood out there and often, going with the less popular
choices can be cheaper as well as being more sustainable.
Anchovies, clams, abalone, crayfish, hake and farmed
mussels and oysters are all sustainable choices (and damn
tasty!)
Take a look at thegoodfishguide.org for more details on
what is and isn’t sustainable.
Tip #3
Buy local. If possible, aim to buy seafood that has been
caught locally, rather than shipped halfway around the
world to get to your supermarket. It will likely be fresher
and better for the environment!
Keeping a
Balanced Diet
Eating pescetarian can be a fantastic way to get a healthy
and balanced diet and we’ve found that since going
pescetarian, we’ve had very healthy diets which contain
everything we need.
One of the biggest concerns I hear when people talk to me
about becoming pescetarian is how they will get enough
protein in their diet and this is understandable. Usually,
when people think about getting protein in, they turn to
white meats like chicken or lightly less healthy red meats.
But a pescetarian diet can provide with more than enough
protein when you’re cooking right! Fatty fishes such as
salmon, anchovies, tuna, mackerel and sardines are all
high in protein and have to added benefits of containing
other dietary benefits, like B vitamins and magnesium.
Even better, fish and seafood is usually very low in
saturated fats, so you can keep a lean, healthy diet no
problem!
On the non-seafood side, there are tons of protein-rich
food that will give you the balanced diet you need. Nuts,
beans, lentils, pulses, quinoa and tofu are all great sources
of protein which can be whipped up into taste and filling
meals in no time.
Storing and
Preparing Food
When Matt and I went pescetarian, I found that I cared a
lot more about what I was eating. It made me more
creative as a cook and as a result, I started using a lot more
fresh ingredients. So when you’re using fresh ingredients,
it’s important to store and prep your food properly.
I’ve created a list below of some key storing advice that I’ve
lived by over the past few years.
Seafood
Keep your seafood cold and store it quickly. If you’re doing
a big grocery shop, make it one of the last things you pick
up before paying so that it doesn’t have too long to warm
up.
Keep your seafood in the colder part of your refrigerator.
I store fish for no longer than 2 days in the fridge and
usually store with a little ice underneath it, to keep it extra
cold.
If you purchase live shellfish, such as live clams, keep
them in a large bowl or pan, cover with a wet cloth or paper
towel and keep in the fridge. I wouldn’t keep live shellfish
for more than 2-3 days but one easy way to test it is with a
quick sniff; if it smells strongly like the sea, you’re good. If it
smells rotten (you’ll know), you’re too late.
If you’re freezing seafood, it’s mark to write dates on the
packaging, so you know how long it’s been there. I don’t
freeze fish for longer than 3 months, though there is a little
wriggle room with leaner fish, such as flounder.
Prawns/shrimp and scallops are the freezer champions
though, as they can be stored for 6-8 months.
I think this should be fairly obvious, but when preparing
fish, wash your hands thoroughly (before and after). Don’t
let raw fish come into contact with any ready to eat food
and clean all of your utensils and work surfaces really well
afterwards.
Fruit & Vegetables
Store your fruit and veg separately to stop your vegetables
spoiling. I keep them in separate trays in my fridge.
If possible, try not to pack your vegetables too close
together. This will help with their shelf life.
Onions and garlic should be stored in a cool dry place. I
keep them in a draw in my kitchen.
Never keep potatoes and onions in the same place. Whilst
they both need cool, dry environments, they shouldn’t be
stored together, as the onions will make the potatoes
sprout.
When it comes to storing fresh herbs, I like to put mine in
little pots of water in the fridge. I find it keeps the herbs
fresh and their leaves strong.
Cooking
Pescetarian
Four delicious recipes to get started
Tomato & Prawn Risotto
400ml vegetable stock
1 glug of olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
220g arborio/risotto rice
150g cheery tomatoes, quartered
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
300g raw prawns
handful of basil. torn
small handful of grated vegetarian Parmesan
Begin by boiling the stock in a large pan and leave to the side.
Get a deep frying pan and put on a medium heat. Pour in the
olive oil and add the onion, garlic and rice. Stir regularly to ensure
all of the rice is coated in oil and does not stick to the pan.
When the onions become translucent (this should take around
3-4 minutes) add in 1 ladel of stock. Keep stirring while the rice
absorbs the stock and when it is completely absorbed , add
another ladel of stock. Keep doing this until all of the stock has
been absorbed by the rice.
Next, add in the fresh cherry tomatoes and the chopped
tomatoes. and stir into the rice. This should be followed by the
sugar (to counteract the tartness of the tomatoes), the pepper
and the paprika. Now you should let the risotto simmer for
around 10-12 minutes, stirring regularly.
The next step is adding your prawns. Make sure to coat them in
the sauce so they cooked evenly and thoroughly. After around
3-5 minutes, the prawns will pink all over and you're almost
done!
Add the basil and serve, sprinkling a little Parmesan on each
serving.
Mediterranean Fish Stew
250ml fish stock
150ml white wine
100g salmon
100g haddock
100g smoked cod
100g chick peas
300g vine ripened
tomatoes
1/2 tin of chopped
tomatoes
250g white fluffy
potatoes
1 tbsp tomato puree
2 cloves garlic
(chopped)
1/2 red chilli (chopped)
1 orange or yellow
pepper (chopped)
1 white onion
(chopped)
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 unwaxed lemon
Handful of fresh
parsley (chopped)
Glug of olive oil
In a large saucepan, add the olive oil and fry the onion, garlic and
chilli on a high heat until they start to brown.
Add the tomato puree and the cayenne pepper, then stir it into
the onion/garlic/chilli to make a wet paste.
Once you've created a paste, add the vine-ripened tomatoes, tin
of tomatoes, chopped pepper, potatoes (peel and cut them into
small chunks), chick peas and the zest/juice of the lemon.
Season to taste with salt and pepper then cook on a high heat
for 10 minutes.
Add the chopped parsley, wine and stock and cook for a further
10 minutes. This should reduce down the contents of the pan
slightly and bring out all of the flavours of the vegetables.
Once the wine has reduced, add the fish and cook for another 10
minutes. Make sure you're occasionally stirring the pan at this
stage. Also, you don't need to worry about cutting the fish into
smaller chunks beforehand because once they've cooked for 34 minutes you'll be able to flake them apart with a wooden
spoon.
Take off the heat and leave to settle for 2-3 minutes before
serving with some grilled ciabatta.
Haddock & Crab Fish Pie
350g haddock fillets
200g crab claw meat
200ml whole milk
500g maris piper potatoes
2 free range eggs (hard-boiled)
Bunch of fresh parsley (chopped)
1 bay leaf
50g of ricotta
100g mature cheddar
20g salted butter
Handful dried chilli flakes
Peel the potatoes and chop them into rough pieces (around
4cm cubes). Pour them into some salted boiling water within a
pan and leave them for around 20 minutes.
Whilst the potatoes are boiling, heat all of the milk in a large
frying pan on a medium heat. Add the chopped parsley, bay leaf
and the haddock fillets and leave to poach for around 10
minutes. Make sure that you season the fish with salt and
pepper as well.
Add in your 2 free-range eggs to a pan of boiling water for
around 8 minutes until they are hard-boiled.
The fish should now be nice and soft, you can now flake it apart
with a wooden spoon into smaller chunks (this is a lot easier
than chopping it into pieces when it's raw). Now take the fish off
of the heat.
Once the potatoes are ready (poke them with a blunt knife to
see if they're soft), strain them in a colander and run them
through a potato ricer. You can use a potato masher if you like
but I always find that a ricer adds the perfect texture to your
mash. Now add the butter, a pinch of salt and pepper and the
ricotta, and then mix it all together. You can also add a quarter of
the crab meat to the mash potato to give a lovely fishy flavour,
but that's up to you.
It's now time to add the contents of your frying pan
(milk/haddock/parsley) into your baking tray. Be sure to remove
the bay leaf though, you don't want to end up chewing on that.
Just spread out the mixture across the surface of your tray and
then the rest of your crab meat and your two hard-boiled eggs
(cut them into quarters).
Spoon over the potato evenly across the fish in your baking tray,
making sure that you've covered it all. Now grate the cheddar
over the top of the potato and add a handful of dried chilli flakes.
Place the tray into the oven at 180 degrees Celsius / 356
degrees Fahrenheit / Gas mark 4 for 30 minutes until there is a
golden crispy colour to the top of the pie. Make sure you leave it
to cool for a few minutes before serving.
Sesame Falafel Wraps
Falafel
400g chick peas (tinned is
fine)
2 echalion shallots
1 clove of garlic
1/2 red chilli
Handful of fresh coriander
1 tbsp ground cumin
100g sesame seeds
2 tbsp plain flour
Wrap Salad
1 carrot (grated)
60g fresh rocket/watercress
1/2 cucumber (sliced)
60g vine cherry tomatoes
(halved)
50g halloumi
3 tortilla wraps
Add all of the ingredients except the sesame seeds into a food
processor and blend it all together until it's a rough, wet texture.
Make sure you've thoroughly rinsed the chick peas in cold water
before adding them.
Once all the ingredients are blended, add half a teaspoon of salt
and pepper to the bowl and mix it all around.
It's now time to make the falafel mixture resemble something
that looks like burgers. To do this, take one heaped tablespoon
of the mixture and work it into a ball. Do this until all of the
mixture is gone - you should have around 6 balls (you may get
more if you're lucky!). Place the sesame seeds on a large plate
and roll each of the balls of falafel in them until they're coated in
them.
Once all of the balls are coated in sesame seeds, flatten them
down into small burgers.
Place a large frying pan over a medium/high heat and add a
generous glug of olive oil. Once the oil has heated, add the
falafel burgers and fry for around 3 minutes on each side. It's as
simple as that.
To finish, add the vegetables, falafel and sprinkle some sesame
seeds in the wrap and fold it up.