How to prep and cook different types of fish

Fish is good for you, versatile and tastes delicious, but many of us are unsure about the best way to cook it. Banish your fear of fish cookery with easy-to-follow tips, recipes and hacks. Plus, discover more about how to shop for fish sustainably.

Senior Food Editor at M&S Food

Heather Taylor

Top five types of fish to cook and eat

From flaky, succulent salmon to flavour-packed sardines, smoky haddock, meaty monkfish and tender cod, there’s a huge spectrum of flavours and textures to enjoy when eating fish. Whatever you fancy cooking, great-tasting fish starts with careful sourcing. At M&S, we’ve had a responsible fish and seafood sourcing policy, Forever Fish, in place for more than 20 years, which helps to protect our precious oceans and means only the freshest, best-quality fish makes it to our Foodhalls.

Browse fish in store

1. Salmon

Salmon is one of the most popular fish, and for good reason. It has a rich, meaty texture, is easy to cook and has a robust enough flavour to stand up to bold spices and marinades as well as simpler pan-frying or grilling.

Catch of the day: At M&S, our exclusive Caledonian Gold salmon are fed on a special diet of Peruvian anchovies and other oily fish, which are naturally high in omega-3.
Try it in: traybakes, stir-fries, tarts, or cooked in the air fryer.

See our salmon

2. Haddock

Delicately flavoured, flaky haddock is a versatile white fish caught in the North Sea that’s a member of the cod family

Catch of the day: We’ve been sourcing our smoked haddock from the same family-owned Scottish business based in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, for 22 years, where our trusted suppliers hand-fillet all of our haddock within three miles of the harbour.
Try it in: Smoked haddock will add instant flavour to all sorts of dishes, from kedgeree to fish cakes and oozy pies and bakes, like this leek and butter bean gratin.

Haddock this way

3. Cod

With a mild, clean flavour and succulent, flaking texture, it’s no wonder cod is one of the UK’s favourite fish.

Catch of the day: Our line-caught cod is responsibly sourced from crystal-clear Norwegian waters.
Try it in: Anything from easy traybakes to Mediterranean-inspired stews, pair with Asian flavours in a simple baked cod with rice and grapefruit salad recipe.

Choose our cod

4. Trout

Rich in omega-3 and protein, flaky trout is growing in popularity among chefs and home cooks alike thanks to its sustainability credentials and versatility.

Catch of the day: Our Loch Trout is responsibly sourced from Scotland's crystal-clear waters.
Try it in: Trout has a delicate flavour that will stand up well to punchy, zesty dressings, while hot smoked trout is a brilliant thing to keep in your fridge, ready to add to risottos, grain bowls or salads for instant smoky, sweet flavours.

Browse tuna and trout

5. Mackerel and sardines

Oily fish, like mackerel and sardines, are sustainable, high in omega-3 and taste delicious – both are well worth adding to your weekly shop.

Catch of the day: Try this Collection Sweet Cured Hot Smoked Mackerel, which is brined in muscovado sugar, then dry-cured with Scottish Blackthorn sea salt before being hot smoked over beech.
Try it in: Mackerel and sardines have a rich flavour that can stand up to bold flavours – cook on the barbecue or marinade in soy, ginger and garlic then grill. Tinned sardines are a brilliantly versatile cupboard staple – delicious on toast with a zingy beetroot dip.

Browse oily fish

Five easy ways to cook fish

You’ve chosen a fish to try – now discover the best way to cook it with our easy guide to five techniques:

Pan-frying
Grilling
En papillote
Baked
In stews or curries

Fish recipes

1. Pan-frying

One of the easiest, quickest ways to cook fish is to fry it in a hot pan. This works well for white, skinless varieties, such as cod and haddock.

Top tip: The key is not to disturb the fish too much – heat a splash of oil in a non-stick pan over a medium-high heat and add your fillets. Cook, undisturbed, for 2-3 minutes to allow them to develop some colour, before carefully flipping and cooking for a further 2-3 minutes (or more depending on the thickness of your fish) until tender. Add a knob of butter when you flip, and use it to baste the fish as it cooks. Finish with a squeeze of lemon, if you like.

Pan-fried cod recipe

2. Grilling

Popping your fish under a hot grill is quick and easy. This technique works especially well for skin-on fish such as salmon or mackerel, where you'd like the skin to crisp up.

Top tip: Line your grill pan with buttered foil to prevent the fish sticking, and pre-heat the grill to high for 10 minutes. The cooking times will vary depending on the size of your fish – thicker fillets like salmon will need 5-6 minutes per side, while thinner fillets, like Dover sole, only need a couple of minutes. Add more butter and baste as the fish cooks – watch it like a hawk to prevent it drying out or overcooking.

Grilled fish recipe

3. En papillote

Try oven-baking your fish in a parcel made from greaseproof paper. Not only does this help lock in the moisture and prevent the fish from going dry, but it also creates the opportunity to pack in more flavours. This technique works well for larger, meatier pieces of fish such as cod loins, monkfish or halibut.

Top tip: Place on a sheet of baking parchment, then top with sliced lemons, a bunch of dill, some sliced tomatoes, a spoonful of capers and a splash of white wine before scrunching the paper around the fish to form a parcel. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the fish is tender (the exact time will vary depending on the thickness of the fish), then serve with the juices from the paper.

Cod parcels recipe

4. In a traybake

A trusty traybake is a midweek dinner saviour, and it works really well for fish, allowing it to absorb the flavours of everything else in the tray – whether that’s a fragrant Thai curry or juicy cherry tomatoes. Plus, there’s less washing up – win-win.

Top tip: Think about the cooking time for whatever else is in the tray. So if you’re baking potatoes, roast these first, then add the fish at a later stage to prevent it from overcooking. Try the technique in this punchy, bold harissa cod traybake served with a zingy grapefruit salsa.

Try the traybake

5. In a one-pot, stew or curry

One of the easiest, most foolproof ways to cook fish is by simply simmering in a sauce, which helps stop the fish from drying out and is more forgiving than, say, pan-frying or grilling. It also means the fish can take on more flavour. Eat your way around the world from a sun-drenched Keralan-style haddock curry to Mediterranean-inspired cod and chickpea stew.

Top tip: Add the fish towards the end of the cooking time to prevent it from overcooking, and simmer gently to retain the texture.

Fish recipe inspiration

How to shop for fish sustainably

Choosing your fish in a responsible way can feel like a minefield. At M&S, we’ve done the hard work for you with Forever Fish – our rigorous sourcing policy, which means 100% of our fish and seafood is responsibly sourced, and you only get a good catch.

Diversity is key, so aim to incorporate different varieties of fish into your diet.
Prevent waste by freezing fish or opting for smoked or tinned fish, which will last longer.
Opt for frozen fish, which is a great option for cutting back on food waste.

More about our sourcing

Foolproof fish at M&S

Want to enjoy more fish, but not sure where to start? Our roast-in-the-bag fish selection makes it effortless. The fish comes ready to roast in the bag with delicious flavourings that are locked in as it cooks. The result? Perfectly cooked fish that stays succulent, moist and full of flavour. Try these in the Foodhall:

Scottish Salmon Fillet with a mixed herb topping and lemon and pepper butter.
Aromatic Cod Fillet, marinated in soy, ginger and chilli and finished with spring onion and coriander.
Whole Sea Bass, marinated in lemon, olive oil and parsley and ready to roast.

Browse fish and seafood

Published 10/02/2026