Ep. 151: Josh Niland on the Whole Fish

Josh Niland is quite possibly the hottest chef on the scene right now. Owner of the Saint Peter restaurant and Fish Butchery in Sydney, he has risen to fame for using of an average 91% of every fish he buys. This September, Josh released his “Whole Fish Cookbook”, which serves as a guide for chefs, home cooks, and anglers who are also looking to waste less of their fish. His recipes range from fish eye chips to milt mortadella, as well as over 50 recipes for the fillets and prime cuts. 

I’ve been working through Josh’s book for a series I’ve been writing over at MeatEater called “Nostril to Caudal.” Josh’s knowledge, guidance, and recipes have singlehandedly changed how I clean, process, and cook fish in my own home. I’ve gone from being skeptical and squeamish to craving fish heads, livers, throats, and more. 

In this episode of Anchored, I meet with Josh to discuss how he came to be one of the world’s most sought-after chefs, and why he chose to focus specifically on seafood. We discuss why fish should be dry-handled and kept away from water, as well as how and why to age fish, the best method to gut them, the differences between farmed and wild-caught fish, and whether fresh fish is really best.

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Buy Josh’s Book: The Whole Fish Cookbook: New Ways to Cook, Eat and Think