Something Fishy with Simon Rhodes from Lobsterpot Fishmongers, Wood Street Food Hall

SARDINES are small oily fish from the herring family.

They used to be called pilchards but fell out of favour with the British public who associated them with dated tinned packaging.

The Cornish then rebranded them as Cornish Sardines and suddenly they were back in favour, and are now as popular as ever, especially with the Spanish and Portuguese.

The name Cornish Sardine is currently under appraisal for protection under EU law and is accredited as a sustainable fishery under the Marine Stewardship Council. These little beauties are high in Omega 3 which means they are good for your brain and joints.

They are a simple fish to cook — you simply grill or fry them, drizzle with a little olive oil, sea salt and a squeeze of lemon and serve. They’re delicious with warm crusty bread.

They have very tiny bones which are easy to eat.

If that still feels a bit daunting ask me to fillet them for you and I will happily oblige.

It is now the season for sardines so the price is good.

If sardines seem a bit too fiddly then why not try our whitebait? We sell them frozen which is great because you can get them out when you need them and they only take a few minutes to defrost.

Always remember to shallow fry them in small batches as this prevents the oil from cooling down.

Accompany them with some garlic mayonnaise and lemon. Absolutely delicious!