Fishbox

A while back now I wrote a post about how I handle and prepare fish and my frustrations and limitations with it. I still have many of these restrictions, but I have discovered an exciting new way of trying different and new fish and increasing my intake. It is called Fishbox and it is a Scottish company that sends out freshly and sustainably caught fish straight to your door. All the fish I receive from them have already been filleted, skinned if it needs it, and deboned. It all comes packaged ready to be frozen if you wish or consumed straight away. The packaging has cool packs inside, keeping the fish chilled and fresh, so you don’t have to worry about it in transit.

I get the medium sized box, containing around 10 fillets of fish, every 4 weeks, but there is an incredible amount of flexibility around this. They have 3 sizes of box, and you can receive it weekly, bi-weekly, or however frequently you like. You can never guarantee exactly what is in your box, but you can very easily ensure you don’t get sent anything you don’t want or like through your personal account with them. They have a long list of all the fish they provide and you can say whether you like it, love it or don’t want it. Even better, their website is very easy and straightforward to use, so keeping this up-to-date isn’t a problem.

I love that since I started receiving it a few months ago, I have already had the chance to try several new fish, including tusk, coley, sea trout and herring. I’ve also been sent incredibly tasty classics such as, fresh salmon, smoked mackerel, cod and hake. I’ve not yet been sent anything I haven’t liked and more impressively, I’ve not yet found a stray bone in any of it. Possibly my favourite I’ve had so far is the sea trout, which is very like salmon, but I’m also enjoying the coley, especially the smoked variety, which I have been sent a couple of times now.

The week before my Fishbox is due I get an email asking if I would like to add anything specific extra to my box. I regularly do this as they tend to offer a few types at a special price. The other month this was scallops. I love scallops, but I would never normally have the confidence to buy them, as I wouldn’t have a clue how to prepare them. Reassured that they would already be prepared and good to go, I decided to try cooking them myself for a treat. I was really pleased with how they came as yes, they were good to go, although as they are so delicate and small, I did struggle to cook them on my own and needed Neil to help me flip them over in the pan. Scallops only need to be cooked for 1 minute or so on each side in a very hot pan and can very easily be overcooked and become rubbery if you aren’t careful. I didn’t want to ruin them by taking too long to feel around for them and flip them. Also, as I have explained in my post about some of my struggles in the kitchen, turning things over in a very hot pan often results in me burning myself, so its not something I do regularly. Since then I have come up with an idea on how to make this easier for myself. I could stick cocktail sticks in them so I can easily feel for where they are and pick them up at least. I’m going to have to play around with this potential technique and see if I can get it to work for me.

Unfortunately there are still some restrictions to what I can and can’t receive in my Fishbox. Most of the shellfish, such as prawns, still come in their shells, which is frustrating as I love prawns. There is also a live section which I am going nowhere near, as even if I could see, I don’t think I could bring myself to cook and deal with anything alive, no matter how much I love crab or lobster. Fortunately though, they do do a dressed crab option, which is already prepared and good to eat straight away, although I’ve not yet had the chance to try it. There are still some fish that come with bones, such as Dover sole or kippers, which I have clicked not to receive, but they clearly state if this is the case, making it easy and giving me the confidence to know that I won’t get sent anything I don’t want.

Overall i’m really pleased and impressed with my Fishbox. I’m really glad that it was recommended to me. It is not only the fish that is more accessible for people who can’t see, so is the website. I look forward to my new box with anticipation as to what I will receive each time. Its exciting being able to try new things and having the confidence to be able to cook with more adventurous ingredients. Nutritionally, fish is incredibly good for us as it is high in protein, low in fat and contains many of the micronutrients that we need to stay fit and healthy. If Fishbox is something that you would like to try, then please get in touch and I can send you a voucher for £10 off your first box.

Thank you for reading and speak soon.

Lora