What to eat

The flesh

Smooth hound has firm, dense, white-to-pale pink flesh with no pin bones, the skeleton is cartilage, not true bone. The texture holds together well under heat and does not flake apart like white fish, making it forgiving to cook. Properly prepared (bled and chilled immediately), the flavour is mild and clean with a slight sweetness.

It has long been sold in UK fish and chip shops as rock salmon or rock eel: the same name covers tope and other small sharks. If you have eaten rock from a chippy, you have likely eaten smooth hound.

Which parts to eat

• Fillets: The main eating. Two thick loins run either side of the cartilaginous spine. Boneless once the central cartilage is removed. Yield is high relative to body weight.
• Cheeks: On larger fish, small nuggets of dense flesh sit either side of the lower jaw. Worth keeping.
• Liver: Rich and oily. Can be used in pâté or pan-fried. Strong flavour, an acquired taste.
• Fins: Not worth eating in UK species. The fin-drying practice associated with the shark fin trade does not apply to smooth hounds caught for table use.

How to cook it

• Battered and fried: The classic. A tempura or beer batter works especially well, the dense flesh holds up where cod would fall apart.
• Grilled: Brush with oil, season well, and grill on high heat for 3–4 minutes per side. It colours well and stays moist.
• Baked: Wrap a loin in foil with butter, lemon, capers, and herbs. 180 °C for 20 minutes.
• Curried: The firm texture handles long cooking in a sauce. Works particularly well in a coconut milk-based curry.
• Goujons: Cut into thick strips, breadcrumb, and shallow-fry. One of the best ways to serve it.

Flavour pairings

Lemon, capers, tartare sauce, brown butter, garlic, chilli, ginger, coconut, smoked paprika. The mild flesh takes bold seasoning well without being overwhelmed.

Storage

Use within 24 hours if fresh, or freeze immediately after filleting. Freezing actually helps reduce any residual ammonia smell by further breaking down the urea. Defrost slowly in the fridge and cook from cold.