Huss. This species of dogfish has a grey-brown skin with quite pronounced dark spots. Because of its relative similarity to a shark the coarse skin is usually removed by fishmongers. These fish grow to about 80 cm (32 inches) in length. The flesh is white or pinkish with a firm texture and good flavour. It is boneless. It is also commonly known as the spotted dogfish or nursehound or, in some places, as rock salmon or rock eel. Spurdog, smoothound and tope are all sold as huss. It is an excellent addition to soups because of its texture. It feeds on shellfish which flavours its own firm, white flesh.

Monk’s beard. A thin, wild spring grass, a type of chicory, looking like a cross between samphire and tumbleweed, from northern Italy. It has a bitter flavour, bearing some relation in texture and taste to samphire, succulent and pleasantly resistant to the bite, and is eaten raw, blanched for seconds and dressed, or stewed in olive oil. It is also a useful addition to salads. It has a very short season which seems to be quite specifically five weeks in spring.