Josh Niland's scale-to-tail philosophy in Take One Fish

1. Have a game plan: Know how many you are feeding and what methods of cookery you have available to you before you go to the fish shop.

2. Know what to look for (whole fish): Glistening eyes that are bulbous and clear, a firmness in appearance and to the touch, scales that are tightly composed and are unaffected by bruising, abrasions or deep cuts, and a light ocean or seaweed odour.

3. Know what to look for (fillets): Ensure that the fillets are dry and not sitting in a puddle of their juices, ice and water, that the skin is intact, free from bruising and marking, and that the flesh is translucent and glassy (it should not appear to be foggy, milky or have a brown lateral muscle, as these are all key indicators of a poorly handled fish).

4. Know what to look for (frozen): All of the above quality points are relevant, but also be certain to check packaging dates and inspect quality of freezing to make sure there is no freezer burn (telltale signs of which include ice crystals on the fish itself and discolouration in spots).

5. Ask questions: Speak to the attendant about what has just arrived, or what they would personally buy.

6. Get the work done for you: If you would like a fish to be filleted, de-boned, butterflied or have its skin removed, then ask for it! There is nothing wrong with getting a professional to do this for you, especially if it will improve your experience with the fish once you get home.

7. Look past the top tier: You don't always need to buy the centre cut of a fillet or pay top dollar for the most premium fish available. Instead, if a recipe calls for fish mince, or just the collars or even the tail of the fish (as many in this book do!), be specific and ask for these items. It would be ludicrously expensive to mince beef fillet or sirloin for a lasagne, not to mention it being the wrong cut to be cooking for hours. Fish have muscles and components to them that offer different flavours, textures and, importantly, come in at different price points. In short, start thinking about buying fish like you would meat.

8. Demand diversity: If you are looking for a fish that doesn't appear to be available, then ask for it! This will give the fish shop the confidence they might need to go out and buy more than the four species of heavily trafficked fish that they currently stock.

9. Ask about cooking: While you are shopping, ask about cookery methods that are applicable to the fish you have chosen. You might pick up some good advice that will lead not only to a delicious dinner but also a greater confidence moving forward.

10. Be loyal but not submissive: It is important to buy fish from responsible fish-shop owners whose products are ethically sourced; however, if you buy a fish and have a negative experience then be sure to give feedback. Don't settle for "fishy fish" or a fish that is mushy or tough.

1. Chuck the ice: When you buy your fish, request that it is not directly surrounded by ice. Ask for the ice to be supplied separately or, alternatively, bring along an ice pack in a cooler bag for transportation.

2. Wrap it in paper: Request the fish be wrapped in paper, not plastic. Fish that is stored in plastic at variable temperatures will start perspiring, become damp and develop ammonia aromas (aka "fishy fish").

3. Take it out of the packaging: Once home, remove the fish from its packaging. If your fish is already scaled and gutted and you are cooking it that day, then transfer it to a clean wire rack set over a small tray or dinner plate and place it in the main chamber of your fridge, uncovered, until ready to use. A minimum of two hours in the fridge like this will result in a skin that is dry enough to achieve crisp skin when pan-frying and give you confidence that it will not stick to your grill bars or pan (your fridge will only smell "fishy" if you are buying poor-quality fish). If you are buying a fish for two to three days' time, still place it on the wire rack but instead of putting it in the central part of the fridge, clear out the crisper at the base and store it there with the humidity vents left open. This will allow the fish to sit at a slightly lower temperature and not dry out too far, as we want to maintain day-one excellence but remove some of the fish's unnecessary moisture. On the day you remove it from the crisper, ready to cook, put it in the main part of the fridge for one hour to dry the skin before cooking.

4. Leave the skin on: Regardless of whether you are pan-frying to make the skin crisp or poaching with the intent to discard the skin, it will benefit the fish's overall flavour profile and nutritional value if you leave the skin on. The seam of fat that sits beneath the skin provides much of a fish's wonderful flavour and is also a rich source of omega 3s.

5. Do not wash a "fishy fish": Washing a fish will not remove the smell of ammonia - if anything, it will make the fish more challenging to cook and add to the issue. The only way to partially eliminate or dilute volatile aromas such as ammonia is through the use of acidity. Lemon juice or tomato-based cookery methods, along with garlic and other alliums all help mask odours (one reason that they are used so often in fish cookery), but the best approach is to shop wisely to avoid this situation in the first place.

6. Keep it on the bone: When working with a whole fish, keep it on the bone right up until you decide what to do with it. Leaving the fish on the bone reduces the potential for the flesh to be exposed to external moisture or bacteria growth.

7. Hang for longer term storage: If you want to store fish beyond its first few days, use a static fridge with no fan. Here fish can be stored on perforated trays but, ideally, they will be hung from the tail on hooks in a whole form post-scaling and -gutting. To maintain these fish over a period of time, wipe the skin and cavity of the fish with paper towel to remove the perspiration that naturally comes to the surface.

8. Look after leftovers: For leftover cooked fish, ensure it is completely cold and then store in a clean, dry, covered container (ideally with a ventilated lid) in the fridge for up to two days, making sure that the temperature is well maintained. If reheating to serve, do so thoroughly.

Now, the thought of this might make you cringe but, trust me, this is one recipe you'll want to cook again and again. The texture and appearance of the tuna mince will have you second guessing whether it is actually fish and will certainly break you out of the chicken/veal/pork loop. It should also be noted that I don't expect anyone to be mincing down sashimi-grade yellowfin tuna belly or the centre cut of a potential tuna steak here - instead, you're looking to use the sinew-heavy area or scrappy chunks that come away from behind the tuna head at the top of the loin, along with any tail cuts and scrapings from the frame of the fish. These are the bits that often get tossed away at the markets because of a perceived lack of customer interest, so it's great to find a good use for them. Ask your fishmonger or market vendor for them next time you're shopping.

1. To make the ragu, tie the thyme, bay leaf, peppercorns and star anise in a piece of muslin to make a bouquet garni. Heat 150ml of the grapeseed oil in a large heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat, add the garlic and a pinch of salt and saute for 30 seconds. Add the onion and another pinch of salt and cook for 10 minutes, or until the onion is translucent and just beginning to colour. Add the carrot, fennel and another good pinch of salt and cook for a further 10 minutes until softened, stirring every few minutes to ensure nothing sticks to the base and burns. Stir in the tomato paste and fry for two minutes, then add the bouquet garni and red wine. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced and thickened to a glaze consistency, about 10 minutes. Add the crushed tomato and water and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to very low and simmer gently for 45 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened, reduced and fragrant. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

2. Heat 75ml of the remaining oil in a cast-iron skillet or frying pan over a medium heat to a light haze. Add half the tuna and fry, stirring to separate the strands, until coloured. Season lightly with salt and pepper, then add to the tomato sauce. Repeat with the remaining oil and tuna, and stir everything well to combine. Leave to cool completely, then transfer to the fridge until you are ready to assemble the lasagne.

3. For the béchamel, place the milk and parmesan rind in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low and keep warm for 20 minutes, to allow the flavour of the parmesan to infuse the milk.

4. Melt the butter in a separate saucepan over a medium heat. Add the flour and cook for two minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon to form a roux. Remove the parmesan rind from the milk, then gradually add to the roux, one-third at a time, whisking after each addition to create a smooth sauce. When you have incorporated all the milk, bring the sauce to the boil, then remove from the heat, stir in a little grated nutmeg and season to taste with salt and pepper. Closely cover the sauce with plastic wrap or baking paper to stop a skin forming, then refrigerate until completely cold.

5. Preheat the oven to 200C.

6. To assemble the lasagne, spoon a layer of the tuna ragu over the base of a 1.5 litre baking dish. Cover with a layer of béchamel, then a layer of lasagne sheets. Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients, finishing with a layer of béchamel. Sprinkle over the grated cheeses in a generous blanket and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for another 10 minutes until golden brown and bubbling on top, and the pasta is tender when tested with a skewer in the centre. Remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes before serving, perhaps with a fresh salad of green leaves and herbs.

Serves 4.

Mapo tofu is one of my favourite dishes. The spicy sichuan ingredients mixed with the minerality and richness of the tuna and the creaminess of the tofu is such a good match. I promise you won't miss the traditional recipe once you've tried this version. Any leftovers make an unbelievable jaffle! The paste can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge until needed.

1. Toast the sichuan peppercorns in a dry frying pan until fragrant, then use a mortar and pestle to grind to a rough powder. Set aside.

2. Place the ginger, garlic, shallots, doubanjiang and 150ml of the grapeseed oil in a food processor and blitz to a smooth paste.

3. Heat 100ml of the remaining grapeseed oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over a high heat. Add the paste and fry, stirring occasionally, for eight to 10 minutes until dried and fragrant, then reduce the heat and simmer for a further 15 minutes, until the rawness from the vegetables has been completely cooked out. Stir in the shaoxing wine, sugar, tamari and one-third of the ground sichuan peppercorns, then spoon the mixture into a large bowl.

4. Wipe out the pan, add the sesame oil and remaining two and a half tablespoons of grapeseed oil and heat over a high heat. Working in two batches, add the tuna mince to the pan and fry for two minutes, or until the mince is coloured and has separated into individual strands, then stir through the fried paste mixture to combine.

5. To assemble the mapo tofu, return the tuna mixture to the saucepan and warm through over a low heat. Add the tofu, cover with a lid and heat for three minutes, then spoon into serving bowls. Top with the spring onion, sesame seeds, chilli, if using, and the remaining ground sichuan peppercorns. Serve with steamed rice, if you like.

Serves 6.

Kofta are traditionally made with ground meat, onion and spices but I urge you to try them with minced tuna. They are so good! I suggest a few dips and a tabbouleh that I like to serve them with, and they are phenomenal hot or cold rolled up in freshly made flatbread, but these accompaniments are by no means essential - the kofta are very much the stars here. Another tick in the margin is that they freeze exceptionally well, so you can make them up ahead of time.

This is a fantastic spread for a long weekend lunch with friends so feel free to double the quantities. You could also try replacing the tuna with swordfish, marlin, albacore or Spanish mackerel - whatever looks best at the fish market.

1. For the kofta, pour the buttermilk over the breadcrumbs in a large mixing bowl. Leave to soak for 10 minutes until the bread swells and there is no residual liquid left in the bowl. Pass the trimmed tuna through a meat grinder on a coarse setting (or chop into a coarse mince consistency with a sharp knife). Add to the breadcrumb mixture, along with all the remaining ingredients. Using your hands, mix everything together for about one minute, to strengthen the mix slightly (be careful not to work it too far or the kofta will end up being too firm). Divide the mix into 12 even pieces and roll into long sausage shapes. Shape the kofta onto stainless steel skewers and store on a plate, covered, in the fridge until needed.

2. To make the sour garlic sauce, whisk together all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Set aside in the fridge.

3. Either preheat a chargrill pan over a medium-high heat or a charcoal grill with evenly burnt-down embers. Level out the embers so the heat is even.

4. Brush the kofta with a little grapeseed oil and season with salt flakes, then grill for two to two and a half minutes, turning carefully at 40-second intervals, until cooked through and nicely coloured all over. Transfer the kofta to a large serving platter and set aside to rest.

5. While the kofta are resting, brush the grapes with a little oil, then grill for two minutes or until the skins are charred and blistered and the juices start running from the fruit. Serve with the kofta, sour garlic sauce and your choice of accompaniments.

Tabbouleh is so much more than a one-dimensional condiment that only appears alongside kofta or similar Middle Eastern dishes. Far from it - this acidic bright and colourful salad has a place at every family barbecue. The lovage adds an earthy celery flavour that I absolutely love, and if you find yourself with leftovers in the fridge, it's truly wonderful with poached eggs and avocado for breakfast the next day.

1. Rinse the burghul in cold water until the water runs clear, then drain well in a sieve and place in a large mixing bowl. Fluff up with a fork.

2. Using a sharp knife, halve the tomatoes and scoop the seeds and pulp into the bowl with the burghul. Finely dice the tomato flesh and the salad onions and add to the bowl. Stir in the juice of 11/2lemons.

3. Mix together all the ground spices in a small bowl. Treat this as a seasoning for the salad to use at your discretion.

4. Rinse and refresh the herbs in iced water. Take the lovage, mint and parsley leaves and pile them up together. Using a sharp knife, finely slice them once, then add to the salad bowl. Add the olive oil, season with the mixed spices and salt flakes and toss well. Taste and add more salt, lemon juice or spices if needed.

Serves 6.

This is my interpretation of the classic chicken-shop dinner. From the seasoning added to the flounder to the soft white bread rolls, coleslaw and amazing gravy, this is a dish I hope you will want to cook again and again. Flathead, turbot and halibut all make excellent alternatives here, too. If you have one, use a grill basket specific to cooking flat fish, as it will enable you to flip the fish easily for controlled cooking.

1. For the flounder seasoning, combine all the spices in an airtight container and set aside until needed. It will keep in the pantry for up to one month.

2. To make the celeriac coleslaw, place the cabbage, celeriac and carrot in a large bowl. Whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, pepper and celery seeds in a small bowl. Pour about half of the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Slowly add more dressing until you've reached your desired ratio of coleslaw to dressing. Set aside.

3. Prepare a charcoal grill, making sure the grill is hot and the charcoal has cooked down to hot embers. Level out the embers so the heat is even.

4. Using scissors, snip off any fins around the skirt of the flounder, as these will be the first things to scorch and become tatty during cooking. Brush the fish on both sides with a little grapeseed oil and season well with salt flakes and the flounder seasoning (about two teaspoons for each fish).

5. Place the flounder directly on the grill racks, dark (top) side down, and grill for four minutes each side, or until the internal temperature on the bone of the flounder reaches 48C on a probe thermometer.

6. Transfer the fish to a large serving platter and leave to rest for five minutes. Serve with the coleslaw, warm bread rolls, cold butter, gravy and a generous mound of fries, if you like.\

Serves 4.

Like most of the brown fish stock-based sauces in this book, this one takes the bones of a single species of fish (in this case, the flounder) and roasts them until they are very well caramelised. This step is critical as it lays strong foundations for the sauce. Too much colour will result in a bitter outcome, and not enough will see an insipid, watery gravy. The dark soy and Vegemite round out the sauce, adding deep umami characteristics that can be challenging to extract from fish (as opposed to meat) bones.

To check the viscosity of the reduced sauce, spoon it onto a cool dinner plate to see exactly how thick it is when it cools. This is also a good opportunity to taste it. I realise the abundance of ingredients doesn't give a significant yield, but look at it as the icing on a cake in terms of making a meal complete. And anyway, who doesn't love gravy?

1. Heat the ghee in a large heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat to a light haze, add the flounder bones and caramelise for 10 minutes until well browned. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaf and thyme and stir to combine. Cook, covered, for 10 minutes, or until the onion is soft and translucent. Remove the lid and cook for a further 10 minutes until the onion is caramelised, then deglaze the pan with the wine and vinegar and simmer until reduced to a syrup. Stir in the Vegemite and dark soy, followed by the fish stock, then bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, or until reduced by half. Season well with salt and pepper.

2. Transfer everything to a food processor and blitz to a thickish, coarse sauce (do this in batches if necessary). Pass this liquid through a fine sieve, discarding the solids, then taste and adjust the seasoning. At this point the sauce may need further reducing (see recipe intro); if so, return to a medium heat and simmer for further five minutes or until the gravy is thick enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon. It is now ready to serve.

3. Store the stock in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a month.

Makes 250ml.

This dish is inspired by two incredible Australian chefs, Kylie Kwong and Neil Perry. I have had many memorable experiences with a dish of this nature at both of their restaurants. The big, fleshy, succulent bass groper really comes into its own here as it soaks up the flavours from the stock. And while this dish is designed to be eaten hot on the day you cook it, another option is to make it a day ahead and store the fish in the stock overnight, then serve it cold the next day.

Depending on the particular fish, the gelatine from the skin and bones can set the stock into a jelly, which is so delicious. The stock itself may be used in other ways; it's brilliant for cooking mushrooms, chicken, pork and vegetables of all kinds. Similarly, the ginger spring onion sauce also translates very well to a number of other recipes.

1. To make the ginger spring onion sauce, combine the ginger and spring onion in a small heatproof bowl. Heat the oil in a small saucepan until almost smoking, then immediately pour it over the ginger and spring onion mixture. You should see and hear it sizzling. (If this isn't happening the oil isn't hot enough, so return it to the heat and try again.) Season with the soy and mix together well. Set aside to cool to room temperature. The sauce will keep in the fridge for up to a week, but the flavour will start to lose its punch over time.

2. For the white pepper, sesame and sichuan seasoning, toast the ingredients individually in a dry frying pan until aromatic, then use a mortar and pestle to grind them together into a powder. Spoon into a small bowl and set aside.

3. Add all the stock ingredients to a large saucepan and bring to the boil over a high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour. Remove from the heat. Add the groper chops, cover with a lid and set aside for 10-12 minutes, until the flesh is just opaque and the internal temperature of the fish at its thickest part measures 44C on a probe thermometer.

4. Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the fish pieces to a clean plate and gently peel away the skin (it should peel off easily if the flesh is cooked). Leave to rest for three to four minutes.

5. While the fish is resting, add the mushrooms to the hot stock (still off the heat) and leave for two minutes to gently warm through.

6. Divide the fish pieces among serving bowls, top with the tender mushrooms, drizzle over a little sesame oil and ladle over a little of the stock to finish. Serve immediately with the ginger spring onion sauce, sichuan seasoning and a small bowl of XO sauce.

Note: This stock can be used over and over again, and will become increasingly flavourful and viscous every time you use it. To store it safely, bring the stock to the boil after every use, then strain off any impurities and keep in an airtight container in the fridge. If you find the flavour becomes unbalanced from reduction, just add some water; similarly, if it needs a boost, add soy sauce, shaoxing or fresh aromats to restore the flavour profile.

Serves 4.