Sally Walton, flanked by husband Stewart, who illustrated the book, and Debi Angel, who designed it.

Sally’s second helpings

It’s out – just in time for Christmas. And the Little Hastings & Rye Fish Cookbook 2, at a mere £5, makes a useful and very reasonable gift, writes Nick Terdre.

It’s almost exactly two years since the first cookbook came out, when recipe-collector Sally Walton revealed that she had enough left-over contributions to dish up a second helping.

Again the contributors are local, including friends, fishmongers, restaurants and chefs, not to mention our illustrious MP. But this time the provenance has been widened to take in Rye, with several recipes from residents and establishments just along the coast.

The inspiration for the recipes comes from all around the world, and that’s one aspect of globalisation we can have no quarrel with. There’s deep-fried fish from south India, Goan shrimp masala, fish tacos, fish with pesto and pasta, and Caribbean and Maltese fish pies, not to mention a smoked mackerel quiche from our Kiwi friends at Little Larder.

The idea is also to buy locally, not from the supermarket, but from local fishmongers or the beach. In a preface Sally writes about the difficulties faced by local fishermen in under 10-metre boats trying to make a living from unrealistically small quotas. These aren’t the people responsible for over-fishing!

The first cookbook, by the way, is now in its third printing and has sold more than 5,000 copies (see our review).

The Little Hastings & Rye Fish Cookbook 2, by Sally Walton et al. Seasaw Books, 80pp, £5. Available by email from sales@seasawbooks.co.uk; from Plenty Provisions, 16 Grand Parade, St Leonards; SHOP, 32-34 Norman Road, St Leonards; Judges Bakery, 51 High Street, Hastings; Waterstone’s, Priory Meadow Shopping Centre, Hastings; and other outlets.

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Food & Drink