Whether you’re trying to eat more seafood or simply be a savvier and more sustainable shopper, there are plenty of fish in the sea. Here are some easy seafood substitutes you can make to suit your budget and what’s available in store, along with easy and delicious recipes to inspire you.

1. If you like salmon, try rainbow trout

Salmon is one of life’s great luxuries, but considering the way it’s farmed and that it’s not available locally, it’s not the most responsible choice. Instead, get your fix with locally sourced rainbow trout, which works just as well as salmon, be it raw, grilled or smoked. While roasted trout portions make for a quick weeknight meal, it’s also easier than you think to cook over the braai, which is how Hannah has served it in this hearty salad.

Roast trout salad recipe

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2. If you like hake, try basa

Hake is one of the hardest-working fish out there, and while we love it for being versatile and affordable, sometimes a change is as good as a holiday. Basa is an excellent swap for hake, because it’s readily available and it’ll work in any recipe that originally calls for hake. Its firm, white flesh works well in everything, from being simply grilled or cooked on the braai to curries or, as seen here, in these family-friendly fishcakes by Phillipa.

Basa fish cakes recipe

3. If you like snoek, try yellowtail

Snoek might be our national treasure, but not everyone loves its fiddly, bony nature. If this is you, or you just feel like trying something new, consider yellowtail. Its oily flesh is like that of snoek, meaning you can braai it in the same way and use it in all sorts of interesting ways.

Yellowtail kedgeree recipe

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4. If you like monkfish, try kingklip

Monkfish is often referred to as the ‘poor man’s lobster’ because of its dense, meaty texture. Sadly, monkfish is orange-listed by the South African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI), which means it should be consumed with caution. So, when you’ve got the craving for it, look out for kingklip instead. When kingklip is caught in a certain way (i.e., by using offshore demersal trawling methods) it is also orange-listed, so check the packaging to make sure that you are buying sustainably caught kinglip. Like monkfish, kinklip holds up against big flavours, especially when served in generous fillet portions, as in Hannah’s recipe below.

Chilli butter roasted kingklip with mash recipe

5. If you like octopus, try squid

While you might not often be cooking octopus at home, with an easy swap, you can recreate a restaurant-quality dish with ease. Octopus is also orange-listed, so another one to approach with caution, but when you’re feeling inspired to cook something adventurous, why not try squid instead? This recipe uses a grill pan but you could very easily do these over the braai. The most important thing is to cook the squid quickly and douse it in the punchy dressing.

Grilled squid with crispy onions recipe

6. If you like sole, try angelfish

Sole is a delicious, quick-cooking fish, but, considering it’s seasonal and also orange-listed, you might not always be able to get hold of it. In those times, look for angelfish. While angelfish is not a flat fish like sole, the two have a similar texture. Meaning you can recreate a sole meunière using angelfish or do as Khanya does and make a fish schnitzel.

Fish schnitzel recipe