The Casanova of the Seas

As it is Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d write a post about the Skrei, also known as the Love Fish! What’s so special about this little cousin of our familiar cod?

After five years in the Barents Sea, as far north as Svalbard, millions of Skrei flood in every winter towards the Lofoten islands, on the Northern coast of Norway. The Skrei that migrate this far south (to their standards) are all minimum five years old and desperately looking  for a partner. In spite of their despair, however, they like to court …and they really take their time for it. This is why the Norwegians lovingly call him ‘the Casanova of the Seas’. If you want to know more about it, just check out the website of the Norwegian fishing industry.

The Casanova of the Seas ???
He certainly doesn't have he looks for it!
Unless you're a lady Skrei !

The arrival of the first Skrei in the waters around the Lofoten islands is a yearly event, which draws many fishing trawlers to these grounds. It’s also a race to be the first to land the first catch of Skrei. You could compare it to the first grouse in Scotland. I’ve seen a documentary on TV about the Norwegian community in and around Antwerp, here in Belgium. As soon as the first fish are landed in Norway, a guy loads up his four-wheel drive jeep with as many fish as possible and races down to Antwerp where the Norwegian housewives living here are waiting to prepare the fish in the traditional way. Everybody skips in to prepare the meal, which is served in the community hall of the Norwegian church in Antwerp... Apparently the best bit is the Skrei’s tongue!

Now what makes Skrei so special, you’ll wonder? Well first of all it’s only available from the end of January till Mid-March. And then the flesh of the Skrei is snow white and – when cooked correctly – almost translucent like polar ice. The taste and texture are delicate and exquisite. It’s full of healthy protein and omega-3 acids.

Last night, my friend invited me to our newly discovered local restaurant for a Valentine’s dinner. To our surprise the ‘poisson du jour’ (fish of the day) was a lovely filet of Skrei, served with a light creamy sauce enriched with finely dices vegetables and a tasty watercress puree. Needless to say that we had a lovely evening in the candlelit restaurant!

P.S. This wasn't our first Skrei experience. We ate it for the first ime in the early nineties and have been on the look-out for it ever since. This time, however, it came as a complete surprise ... and it tasted even better for it!

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