Fish food fight: the battle for the best fish recipes

This week's food fight? Fish! To join thousands of opinionated followers and make yourself heard, search @wwtaste on Instagram, and vote in our Instagram stories poll. Already had your say? You'll find all the incredible recipes featured in the food fight below. Got deeper thoughts to share? Tell us in the comments!

Grilled vs fried

We could go into more detail here – crumbed vs not – beer batter vs breadcrumbs – but ultimately there is only one question that needs to be decided. Which is better: grilled fish or fried fish?

Grilled 

Find the recipe for silvers with charred tomatoes here. 

Fried

Find the recipe for malt-vinegar-battered fish here. 

What are your thoughts on snoek?

This South African fish is quite divisive. On the one hand it's bursting with flavour, but on the other it does have quite a few bones. So does the flavour trump the number of bones in the fish or are they too much of a hassle?

Find the recipe for snoek with paprika garlic butter here. 

What about hake?

Hake is probably the most popular white fish around. But does that mean it's a favourite? Considering how often you see it on menus, you might find it boring, but it's also quite versatile and can be transformed into exciting dishes.

Find the recipe for 30-minute coconut hake with cauliflower rice here .

Have you ever brined fish?

Let's talk technique. While most of us have baked, grilled, fried, braaied and even poached fish – have you ever tried to brine it? If not, there are some valid reasons to try. Case in point, this excellent brined hake recipe:

Find the recipe for brined hake with tangy pineapple-and-coconut salsa here. 

Let's talk fish braais

Are you a fan? Do you loathe them? Do you struggle with them? (If you do, you should check out "how to braai a whole fish" post here) Is it too intimidating? Sound off in the comments below and let us know.

Find the recipe for braaied snoek with sticky apricot glaze here. 

Fish pies are...

The best vs too soggy? This British dish has found its place here in SA, but is it a thing?

Find the recipe for family favourite fish pie here. 

What’s the best sauce for fish?

Are you team tartare or team lemon butter? It's time to decide which is the perfect sauce to serve with fish.

Tartare sauce 

Find the recipe for fish in chips with tartare sauce here. 

Lemon butter 

Find the recipe for sole with burnt butter, nori and fried capers here.

How do you like your tuna?

Canned tuna is a staple in most pantries, but is it just because of its price point and convenience? Given the choice, would you opt for fresh tuna instead? If so, do you prefer it rare or cooked through? Let us know!

Canned

Find the recipe for tuna-and-bean salad here. 

Fresh 

Find the recipe for green goddess salad here. 

Salmon vs trout

While we're on the topic of fish preference, when you splurge, do you go for salmon or is trout your "luxe" fish of choice? They're both versatile, have similar flavours (although there is a difference) and are often used interchangeably, but which one are you reaching for in the fish aisle?

Salmon 

Find the recipe for braaied salmon escabeche here. 

Trout

Find the recipe for trout with braised veggies here. 

Fish fingers are only for kids

Do you agree or disagree? Perhaps you sneak one or two from your kids' stash, or maybe you don't have children but always have a box of fish fingers in the freezer. Whatever your thoughts, here's a fish-finger butty you can enjoy no matter how old you are.

Find the recipe for fish finger butty here.

Are you a fan of anchovies?

Another super-divisive fishy food, anchovies are one of those things you either love or hate. Whether they're used as an ingredient in dressings and sauces or simply served on toast (we'll miss you fish paste!), are you a fan or not?

Find the recipe for anchovy on toast with fresh tomato and parsley butter here. 

Don't forget to join our Friday food fights on Instagram

We post a new food fight every Friday on our IG stories. Join thousands of TASTE followers as they battle it out in the polls to see if their food opinions are the best. You can follow us on Instagram here.