Scale to Tail
A sustainable cookbook for Australian seafood
If you think a fish is bad eating, you might just need to cook it differently.
Scale to Tail has three key aims:
- Diversify — broadening the range of seafood we consume in Australia
- Eat whole — encouraging people to stop filleting fish and throwing the rest away
- Reduce waste — if you do fillet a fish, use the bits you’d normally throw away.
While Australians are world leaders in when it comes to managing our fisheries, our pickiness as consumers of seafood is putting pressure on our marine life. In the pages that follow, you will find recipes that will leave you wondering why you ever threw those average fish back. And you’ll find ways to cook with scraps that would otherwise be destined for the bin. Why neglect that crayfish head when you can turn it into something delicious?
If we broaden the range of seafood we eat, we can reduce the pressure on our more favoured species. Sustainable cooking is a simple way we can play a role in supporting healthy fisheries.
In putting this book together, a call was put out to local fishers and guest chefs to send in their favourite ways of cooking unpopular fish. The result is recipe ideas that surprise and delight, inspired by a love of the ocean and a passion for food.
Dr Jordan Goetze is a marine ecologist whose research focuses on fisheries management and conservation strategies. Jordan also loves to catch and eat the fish that he studies. Luckily, he believes in a balance where we are still able to catch and eat the seafood we love while minimising the impact on the marine environment. His work across the globe, including in developing countries in the Indo-Pacific and East Africa, has provided a unique insight into the different ways marine life is managed.
Paul Iskov established Fervor in 2013, with the aim of providing a ‘culinary experience you can’t get anywhere else’. Fervor harnesses locally sourced native produce and shares it with diners at unique locations across WA, including saltlakes, beautiful bushland and pristine beaches. Paul boasts an outstanding resume, including experience in highly acclaimed kitchens around the world such as Vue de monde, Amuse, D.O.M., Coi, Pujol and Noma.
