Venture beyond the shallows

We land animals can be creatures of habit when it comes to buying food from the sea, but dipping your toe into unknown waters when buying fish can be worthwhile. Here are some tips on what to do with less popular species once you get them home.

Spanish mackerel

The flesh has good oil content, which means it has a richer flavour than white-fleshed fish and works well cooked with strong-flavoured, robust ingredients such as garlic, chilli and fresh coriander. Often cut as a steak, Spanish mackerel is good for most methods of cooking, but it's best not to deep-fry it due to its already oily character. It matches herbs such as thyme and rosemary.

Sand mullet

Mullet is a delicious fish, perfect for grilling and on the barbecue. Its strong-flavoured flesh loves the acid in citrus, such as lime or pomelo, as well as the usual suspects of lemon and orange. The key to cooking any fish, including mullet, is to cook it until it is slightly underdone, as the heat keeps cooking the flesh once it's removed from direct heat. While it loves being pan-fried, wrapping it in baking paper and aluminium foil and giving it 10 minutes in a moderate oven is also delicious.

Blue grenadier

The thick fillets of this fish are more commonplace in fishmongers' counters throughout the cooler months. The sturdy flakes of blue grenadier stand up to being steamed with ginger and chilli and served with bok choy - or brush them with butter and grill, then top with sauce gribiche.

Leatherjacket

''Trunks'' of leatherjacket - the gutted body of the fish with the head removed - sit in the fishmongers; not the most beautiful of fish but it does have a mild flesh whose subtlety makes it a crowd-pleaser. It's best to cook whole, wrapped in baking paper and foil with lemon zest and olive oil, and aromatics of your choice. Once cooked, either flake the flesh into a dish such as linguine with garlic, parsley and chilli or over a salad of couscous with orange zest, parsley, dill, cumin and garlic.

Mussels

Mussels are quick to cook and affordable. The important thing to remember is: if a mussel is not good, it will smell bad. Contrary to popular belief, if a mussel remains closed during cooking, it doesn't mean it's off. For a simple cooking method with mussels, chop onion and garlic and saute in olive oil in a large pot, add the mussels and pour in a cup of white wine and a cup of fish stock. Put a lid on and let the steam cook the flesh inside the shells. They will start to pop open and should be done in five minutes. Additional ingredients, such as chilli, fresh coriander and basil, can be added when they're done.

Pipis

Pipis are slinky, pretty little molluscs containing flesh that is salty-sweet and simply delicious; it's no wonder pasta vongole is such a popular dish. Like mussels, pipis are easy to cook and are done in a matter of minutes. Pasta is an obvious accompaniment, but finish a fish broth with pipis or serve them straight up and slurp them out of the shells.

Silver whiting

The silver whiting may not have the high profile of the King George whiting, but its affordability and mild flavour make it a great buy. Keep it simple with a dusting of flour and pan-fry in butter and oil (rice-bran oil is wonderful to cook fish with), just three minutes on one side and one minute on the other to finish. Serve it with sourdough bread, lime mayonnaise and an iceberg and tarragon salad.

Bonito

Tuna's poor cousin, dried bonito is a component of the Japanese stock dashi (along with kombu) and the fish flesh is a cheaper, more sustainable alternative to tuna. Sear bonito rare - if you cook it through, it becomes very dry - and serve with bitter greens and garlic butter, or grill a bonito steak and serve with a salad of pickled vegetables.

Garfish

A sleekly beautiful fish, garfish is seen as fiddly because of its fine shape and small bones, but it is a pleasure to cook and eat. Brush it with oil and cook whole on a chargrill, with a salad of parsley, radish, fennel and orange segments, or cook in the oven and serve with finely sliced cucumber and carrot, pickled ginger and soy.

Squid

There's nothing to fear cooking this cephalopod: it loves a quick cook on a high heat or on a low temperature for a longer period. Rice-bran oil works well if frying sliced squid. Heat the oil and dust pieces of squid, cut to a width of one centimetre, in sea salt, black pepper, chilli (optional) and flour and cook for less than a minute. Drain on a paper towel. Sliced squid slow-cooked in tomato, onion and garlic with chorizo is moreish - have good bread on hand for mopping up the juices.