The Flexible Chef

The Inland Fish & Seafood Hub: 160km from the Open Sea

March 30, 2026

The Inland Fish & Seafood Hub: A Growing Collection
Preparing fresh, high-quality seafood 160km from the open sea requires a bit of resourcefulness and a lot of passion. This is a constantly evolving collection of my favourite fish and seafood recipes, cooked and perfected in rural Andalucía. From village staples like Merluza to Mediterranean classics and campervan-friendly treats, explore this ever-expanding library of inland sea-flavours.

A selection of fresh fish and seafood recipes from the Casa Adora kitchen.
Fresh seafood, 160km from the coast, prepared with Montetucci olive oil.

Jump to: Monkfish · Cod and Salt Cod · Hake and Other White Fish · Sea Bass and Bream · From the Market: Danny's Fish · Tuna and Swordfish · Salmon and Trout · Mackerel and Sardines · Shellfish and Tapas · Basics and Extras

That lagoon is my "secret" campervan park-up, a quiet spot with picnic tables where I can watch the water in peace. It is a reminder that even in the heart of the Spanish interior, the spirit of the sea isn't far away. To many, this might seem the wrong place to run a seafood kitchen, but in Andalucía, the distance only makes a good catch from the village market — or a well-timed online order — more of an event.

The Gold Standard: From Montrose to Monte Lope-Álvarez

People often ask how a man living 160km inland becomes so particular about his fish. The answer lies at 10 Mill Street, Montrose. When I was eleven, I lived there for a year with my Scottish granny. She would dispatch me to Mac Fisheries on the High Street with a single, non-negotiable rule: "If the fish isn’t flapping on the slab, don’t buy it!"

That year was spent exploring the Montrose Basin—the UK’s largest inland saltwater lagoon—on boats arranged by my uncle Bert or "unofficially" scouting for salmon in the North and South Esk rivers with my pal Kevin McGowan. Whether I am in the foothills of the Sierra Sur or the basin of Angus, that demand for absolute freshness remains my gold standard.

Resourceful Cooking with Roman Roots

My kitchen is a bridge between the coast and the olive groves. Whether I’m preparing a monkfish recipe or my baked spider crab, the foundation is always the same: Montetucci olive oil. Produced right here in my village of Monte Lope-Álvarez, this "verde" oil carries the heritage of the ancient Iberian and Roman city of Tucci. Sautéing fresh prawns or crab in an oil with such deep roots creates a flavour you simply can't find at the beach—it is the taste of the Spanish interior meeting the sea.

One of many resourceful fish and seafood recipes found in the Inland Seafood Hub.
One of the many resourceful fish and seafood recipes in the Casa Adora collection, using local saffron and almonds.

Monkfish

Start here: Monkfish Recipes: How to Buy, Trim and Cook It – How I buy and trim monkfish, when it's perfectly cooked, and where to find every monkfish recipe in the collection.

Cod and Salt Cod

Pan-frying fresh fish as part of the recipes in the Inland Seafood Hub.
A simple pan-fried cod loin, one of the many easy seafood dinner options in this collection.

Start here: Cod Recipes: Baked, Pan-Fried, Confit and Fish Cakes – Which cod recipe to make on the day, from baked and pan-fried to confit, salt cod and fish cakes.

Also start here: How to Cook Cod: Fresh, Frozen and Salt Cod – How to cook cod your way: pan-fried, baked, confit or en papillote, plus how to cook frozen cod and how to desalt and bake salt cod.

Fresh cod, Norwegian skrei and salt cod (bacalao) all turn up in this kitchen, from a simple pan-fried loin to fish cakes made with the leftovers.

Hake and Other White Fish

Hake (merluza) is the village staple, even 160km from the coast. Alongside it are rosada, cazón, turbot and the rest of what turns up at the market.

  • Hake in Spain (Merluza a la Romana) – A village staple, even 160km from the coast.
  • Hake and Langoustine Stew — Catalan Style with Saffron & Almonds – A suquet-style stew built on a ten-minute langoustine shell stock, golden with saffron and thickened with an almond picada. Cooked with fresh pescada and langostinos from Marta's village counter.
  • Debbie & Andy's Pan Fried Hake — Gran Alacant — Andy's pan fried hake from the family holiday home in Gran Alacant. Fresh merluza from the waters off Santa Pola, crushed new potatoes, a simple salad. Five ingredients, twenty minutes, and a lesson in eating at the wrong time.
  • Three Days of Rosada – Pan-cooked, fish pie, and Mediterranean bake. Three ways with rosada, the firm, mild white fish that turns up reliably at the village market and rewards every approach you throw at it.
  • Marinated Cazón with Vegetable Pilau Rice – Cazón — the dogfish of Andalucían fish markets — marinated, pan-fried, and served with a fragrant vegetable pilau. A taste of the coast, 160km inland.
  • Easy Pan-Fried Turbot — A Cantabrian Encounter (Rodaballo) Known locally as rodaballo, turbot is a luxurious treat with a delicate flake. This one was cooked in Cantabria — a simple, respectful preparation that lets an exceptional fish speak for itself.
  • Bombay Duck – A crispy, fried Pescadilla recipe that’s a nostalgic nod to classic flavours.
  • White Fish Ceviche – Fresh, zingy, and 'cooked' in citrus—perfect for a hot Andalucian afternoon.
  • No-Cream Fish Pie - An all-in-one comfort pie without the faff.

Sea Bass and Bream

Sea bass (lubina) and sea bream (dorada) cooked four ways: pan-seared, baked in a foil parcel, pan-roasted and salt-baked, plus a whole bream baked or grilled with herbs. All the sea bass recipes are gathered in my Sea Bass Recipes guide.

From the Market: Danny's Fish

My son Danny visits the Grimsby wholesale fish market every week and buys whatever catches his eye. He cooks the way I recognise — good fish, minimal interference, capers — and these are his recipes, written up in my voice.

Danny's roasted cod with beluga lentils, asparagus and braised endive on a white plate — roasted cod recipe — The Flexible Chef
Danny's roasted cod with beluga lentils, asparagus and braised endive — cooked in his kitchen in Cleethorpes

Tuna and Swordfish

Spicy tuna steak with tamarind and Kashmiri chilli paste, served with asparagus, radishes and red onion on a mosaic tile table at Casa Adora.
Pan-fried spicy tuna steak with tamarind — served on the terrace at Casa Adora.

Start here: Tuna Steak Recipes: Seared, Crusted and Spiced – How to cook tuna steak so it stays pink in the middle, and the ways I dress it, from chilli lime soy to Cajun and tamarind.

Salmon and Trout

Gozney salmon recipe — served with rice, cucumber and Sriracha sauce, Ramsbottom
Wood fired salmon, rice, cucumber, Sriracha sauce — Chris's plate, Ramsbottom

Start here: Smoked Salmon Recipes: Starters, Pâté, Pasta and Smoked Trout – Which smoked salmon recipe to make on the day, how to serve it, and the smoked trout recipes for when the fishmonger has run out.

Mackerel and Sardines

Tinned and fresh oily fish for quick, resourceful meals, many of them campervan-friendly.

Start here: Mackerel Recipes: Fresh, Smoked and Tinned – Which mackerel recipe to make on the day, from pan-fried fillets and escabeche to smoked pâté and quick tinned suppers.

Also start here: Tinned Fish Recipes: Sardines, Mackerel, Tuna, Anchovies and Cockles – Which tinned fish recipe to make on the day, from sardines and mackerel to tuna, anchovies, cockles, mussels and squid.

Shellfish and Tapas

Carpet Shell Clams – Steamed with mustard seeds and shallots for a sophisticated twist.
Carpet Shell Clams – Steamed with mustard seeds and shallots for a sophisticated twist.

Start here: Prawn Recipes: Curries, Tapas, Pasta, Soups and More – Which prawn recipe to make on the day, grouped by the kind of dish, from smoked salmon and prawn pasta and king prawn curries to Spanish gambas, prawn cocktail and soups.

Basics and Extras

Several of the Spanish fish and seafood recipes in this collection — from Gambas al Pil-Pil to Baked Spider Crab — also feature in my Spanish Recipes collection, a complete guide to regional classics and food cooked from Andalucía and the road.

This Fish and Seafood Hub is a 'living' collection. As I develop new recipes here at Casa Adora or find a particularly inspired catch at the market in Martos, I will add them to this list. Bookmark this page to keep your resourceful seafood repertoire growing.

Browse all recipe collections at The Flexible Chef's Complete Hub Guide.

If you've enjoyed the recipes, you can buy me a coffee ☕ — it helps keep the site going.

Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures — The Flexible Chef

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