Guide: This Summer’s Must-Have Fish & Seafood

Hake, Hake and More Hake!!!

Summer means one thing for hake: it’s back in Danish waters. The fish arrive to spawn close to the coast, and once that’s over, it’s time to feed. For the next couple of months, they’re caught in abundance in the North Sea and Skagerrak, making hake one of the season’s best-value fish.

The days when hake lived in cod’s shadow are thankfully long gone. Today, it’s one of the most versatile fish in the kitchen, lending itself to almost any style of cooking. And there’s another reason chefs keep coming back to it: the yield. Hake consistently delivers more than 50% usable fillet, and in some periods even more. Compare that with flatfish, where yields typically sit around 30–35%, and the value quickly becomes obvious.

Better yield means better economics. And when it also tastes this good, it’s hard to argue against. If you’re looking for a fish that combines outstanding quality, versatility and value, hake deserves a place on your menu. July and August are its absolute peak.

Brown Crab with a Clear Conscience – From Net to Plate

Summer brings plenty of magnificent brown crabs – and plenty of crab claws too. Let’s start with the claws, because there’s absolutely no reason to think of them as second best.

Brown crabs enter gillnets for one simple reason: they spot an easy meal. “Mmm… dinner!” the crab thinks, before promptly becoming tangled in the net itself. And once a brown crab has worked its way into a gillnet, getting it back out in one piece is next to impossible.

That’s why it’s the claws that are landed and sold at auction. Not because fishermen are choosing to discard perfectly good crabs, but because the animal is so tightly entangled that the body simply can’t be recovered intact. The claws are removed, and the rest of the crab is broken up so the net can be cleared as it passes through the net hauler.

That’s the reality of this fishery. So be just as happy to put brown crab claws on the menu as whole live crabs. They offer the same wonderful sweet flavour, and the season runs all the way through October – giving you plenty of time to make the most of them.

Why Pound Net Mackerel Rules the Coast

Mackerel arrive in Denmark’s inner waters during May. At first, they stay offshore, but once spawning is over, they head back towards the coast to feed – and that’s when they begin finding their way into the traditional Danish pound nets.

We’ve been speaking with our good friend Troels Twilling in Skagen, who’s already set his nets and is eagerly waiting for the first big catches. There’s no need to wait if you don’t want to – we’re already receiving excellent gillnet- and line-caught mackerel from Sweden and elsewhere. But if you can hold out just a little longer, we think it’s worth it. Summer offers plenty of other fantastic fish, and when the pound net mackerel finally arrive, there’s simply no comparison. They’re in a league of their own.

We can’t wait to enjoy these black-striped summer favourites all season long.

Sardines, Grey Mullet and Wild Sea Bass at Their Best

While mackerel are the stars of the Danish pound nets, they’re not the only summer surprise. In recent years we’ve been seeing more and more beautiful sardines – large, rich and wonderfully fatty. We aim to have them available throughout the season, supplemented with equally fine sardines from the Netherlands.

The nets also bring us grey mullet and wild sea bass, and we keep both on offer throughout the summer with additional supply from Holland. Much of our Dutch fish comes through our trusted partners in IJmuiden, home to a large part of the Dutch line-fishing fleet. That’s why we regularly see exceptional wild sea bass, often in impressive sizes. Finding fish over 3 kilos every week isn’t unusual. They may command a premium, but they’re truly spectacular, and they’re delivered to Copenhagen just two days after the auction, ensuring outstanding freshness.

Most of the mullet we receive is thin-lipped grey mullet rather than the thick-lipped species more commonly seen in Danish waters, although the two are remarkably similar. We also source excellent mullet from our friends in Italy and, this year, they’re actually better value than mackerel. So don’t overlook them. And keep an eye on the app – that’s where we’ll be shouting the loudest when the next beautiful haul of sardines comes ashore.