Gurnard. Gurnards are strange-looking, scaly, bottom-feeding fish with spikes which use the three bottom rays of their pectoral fins to "feel" the sea bed. They have firm-textured white meat with not much flavour, and are rich in protein, iodine and phosphorus. They emit a strange grunting noise and some make good eating. The grey gurnard (Eutrigla gurnardus) has a brownish-grey back and silver belly. The red gurnard (Aspitrigla cuculus) is the most attractive member of the family with pinkish-red colour and the finest flavour of the gurnards. The tub gurnard (Trigla lucerna) is a large brownish-orange variety with bright orange pectoral fins and is the one most readily available in the United Kingdom. There is a variety known as flying gurnard as it is a fine swimmer which sometimes leaps out of the water. They are all very bony fish. Small ones are excellent in soup. Red or grey mullet (US: striped mullet) can generally be subsituted for it, and are usually better.
John Dory. A high quality, plump, flattish fish with a golden sheen, with an ugly but amiable face which likes rocky coasts. It was first associated with Zeus, then with St Peter, as evidenced by the ‘finger marks’ left by him when he picked it up to remove a coin from its mouth to pay some taxes.
