Good Friday equals fish. But could somebody please tell the weather, so that we can get better supplies of our favourite fish in time for tomorrow?

According to an industry source, M & J Seafood, adverse weather conditions have made a lot of popular varieties scarce this week, causing prices to rise.

There will, however, be excellent supplies of halibut, Scottish mussels, “plate-size” sea bass, hake, mackerel and sardines as well as good dayboat landings of native “flatties” such as Dover sole from Poole Bay.

The price of farmed salmon, our second favourite fish, has apparently risen dramatically as people misguidedly turn away from chicken because of the bird flu scare.

The favourite fish, of course, is cod, which remains the choice for Good Friday’s traditional creamy, cheese-crusted fish pie. But poor old cod is over-fished in many areas, so visit www.fishonline.org for advice on what to buy (eg, Icelandic) and what fish to avoid (eg, North East Atlantic).

For a lighter change, try this simple stew of chickpeas, onions, tomatoes and your favourite fish, gently flavoured with bay leaves, garlic and olives.

Serves 4

Prep 20min
Cook 35min

Ingredients

600g Icelandic cod or firm white fish fillet
1tbsp olive oil
1 onion, halved and finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
100ml white wine
2 bay leaves
600g tinned tomatoes
600g tinned chickpeas, drained
2tbsp small whole black olives
sea salt and pepper
200ml water
2tbsp roughly chopped parsley

METHOD

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the onion until soft. Add the garlic, white wine and bay leaves, allowing the wine to bubble and reduce.

Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, olives, sea salt, pepper and water and simmer gently for 15min, stirring occasionally.

Skin the cod and cut into bite-sized chunks. Slip them into the stew and simmer gently for 6 to 8min or until just cooked, when they will start to flake.

Scatter with parsley, and serve.

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