Croaker or drum fish. A deep-bodied seawater fish which can be cooked in many ways. Croakers or drums are so named because of the croaking and drumming which accompanies their mating.
Samphire or rock samphire (an anglicisation of herbe de Saint-Pierre), sea bean, sea pickle, sea asparagus, glasswort. High in protein, it is a salty fleshy, fibrous plant growing in coastal marshes and at the edges of tidal pools, The texture is somewhat like that of asparagus, yielding but crisp.
The name 'sea grape' can refer to several stuffs, including a type of glasswort, a plant similar to 'horse tail', the 'raisin de mer' or the 'climbing knot grass', a fish mentioned by Pliny and the clusters of eggs of cephalopods, generally the cuttlefish. However, the one of interest here is a bushy tree from the West Indies. It grows on sandy shores, producing fruits which can be used for making jellies.
Sea kale grows wild. Young leaves make good eating and are good in salads. The entire leaf, including the stalk, is edible. Along the coast of England, where it is commonly found above High Tide Mark on shingle beaches, local people heaped loose shingle around the naturally occurring root crowns in springtime, thus blanching the emerging shoots, which can be served like asparagus with either melted butter or béchamel sauce. It is apt to get bruised or damaged in transport and should be eaten very soon after cutting, this may explain its subsequent decline in popularity.
Swiss chard. A vegetable with large, dark leaves and fleshy ribs, mainly of a creamy white but sometimes a vibrant red. Leaves are cooked in the same way as spinach. The ribs are peeled and cut into manageable chunks and boiled or added to soups or stews. They are tender when young, stringy when old.
Garfish. A striking, beaked, marine fish up to 60 cm (2 ft) long, with a backbone which turns bright green on cooking and a delicious flavour, found on most European coasts.
Sea oak or arame is a dark greenish-brown seaweed with long, wavy fronds which is dried in the wind. It is rich in calcium and has a delicate, sweetish mild flavour. It is sold dried and shredded and can be an ingredient in traditional Japanese miso soup or flavoured with soy sauce and lemon for salads. It should be soaked for 15-20 minutes in fresh water until tender before use. Arame should be soaked for 10-15 minutes before used, during which time it will double in volume. It should then be rinsed and drained. It is often served as a side dish, sautéed with tofu and onions or carrots. It is similar to wakame.
Lumpfish. Lumpsucker. A marine fish with a green or grey humped back and knobbly skin. It grows to about 60 cm (2 ft) and is found in the North Atlantic and Baltic. The male is oily but can be poached and the female is caught for its roe.
A name for the saddletail seaperch, a striking red fish with no stripes or spots caught in the tropical waters of northern Australia over reefs and soft bottoms. Is usually found at around 70 cm (28") in size, though the ones in the picture are smaller and provides well-flavoured, flaky meat. It is sometimes sold as red emperor.
