Carp

A fresh water fish that is believed to have originated in Asia thousands of years ago. It is extensively farmed and thrives in ponds, lakes and flooded paddy fields. there are several varieties. Ask the fishmonger to remove the large scales and strong dorsal fins. The flesh is meaty and moist. Bake carp whole. Like grey mullet, it needs a stuffing with a distinctive flavor.

Cod

A handsome fish with greenish bronze skin dappled with yellow, cod can vary in size from 1 kg/ 2 1/4 lb to 30 kg / 66 lb. When properly cooked the flesh is moist and will break into large flakes. It is ideal for grilling, baking or frying, and is excellent in fish curries, but only add the cubes of pearly white fish at the very end of cooking so that they keep their shape.

Eel 

They're highly prized in Japan for their rich, firm meat and terrific flavor. Freshness is crucial, so always buy live eels.  Smaller eels are more tender. 
 

Grey mullet

This fish has dark stripes along the back, lots of thick scales and a heavy head. The flesh is soft and rather coarse but responds well to distinctive flavors. Try it baked, with a stuffing of minced pork and prawns with ginger and spring onion or chopped Chinese mushrooms, or moisten it with fish sauce and steam it.

Halibut

This is a rather chunky flatfish and can reach an enormous size. It has a brownish skin on one side and is pearly white underneath with two eyes on the bridge of the snout. the smaller type, called a chicken halibut, weighs under 1.5 kg / 3 lb and is ideal for poaching or baking.

Mackerel

Mackerel and bonito are from the same family. the fish is easy to recognize, thanks to the wavy dark blue markings which run part of the way down to a silvery green side and pale underbelly. The inside of the mouth is black. Mackerel is an oily fish, with soft, pinkish flesh and is ideal for grilling or poaching with miso. Serve mackerel with wedges of lemon or lime. It is also excellent in a laksa or a Thai fish soup.

Parrot fish

Either blue or brightly colored, these are striking to look at and delicious to eat.

Plaice

Easy to recognize, this flatfish has dark brown skin with orange spots and a white underside. The flesh is soft and moist. Cook plaice whole, either deep-fried or poached. If filleted, make a stock from the bones with bruised ginger, onion and seasoning.

Pomfret

Held in high regard by Malay and Thai cooks, the pomfret is a fisherman's dream as it is very easy to net. So easy that at one stage these fish were almost fished out. A type of flatfish, pomfret is silver grey with a pearly white underside. The ideal way to preserve the delicate flavor of this fish is to steam it with a few simple flavorings, such as ginger, spring onion, light soy sauce and seasoning. It is good grilled and fried, too.

Salmon

Often called the king of fish, the finest wild salmon makes delicious sashimi. farmed salmon makes a very reasonable and good buy for a vast array of cooked dishes. The skin on a salmon's back is steely blue going down to a silver body. the flesh is oily, an attractive shade of pink, and firm. It is best either clear simmered or poached in a fish kettle or wrapped in foil and baked. cutlets can be barbecued and served with Thai salad or used to make the Filipino dish, escabeche.

Sea bream

Look for the gilt head with a gold spot on each cheek and squat compact body. Sea bream must be scaled before being cooked. The flesh is rather coarse but remains moist if not overcooked. Slash each side two or three times so that the thicker part of the fish will cook more evenly. Sea bream is best baked whole in an oiled or buttered foil parcel with ginger, spring onion and seasoning, It is good served with a sweet and sour seasoning. It is good served with a sweet and sour sauce.

Snapper

The red snapper is perhaps the best known but there other colors, too, such as grey, silver and even a silver-spotted grey. The red color is quite distinctive. The fish has large eyes and very strong dorsal fins which should be removed before cooking. The flesh is moist and well flavored. Small to medium snappers are good for steaming or baking whole.

Sole

Another member of the flatfish family, sole has rough brown skin on top and a long lozenge-shaped body. The flesh has superb texture and a delicate flavor. Sole is beat grilled or fried whole. It can be sold filleted, in which case ask for the bones to make stock for a fish soup.

Squid

Asian cooks are fond of squid. In the west, this cephalopod usually comes ready cleaned, but if you should you come across squid in the unprepared state here is what to do: Pull the tentacles out from the body sac. Squeeze the tentacle in the centre gently to remove the hard central bone or " Beak". Trim the tentacles from the head and set aside. Using fingers pull the quill and innards from the body cavity and discard. Pull off the mottled outer skin, it should come away quite easily. Wash the squid well inside and out. It is now ready for stuffing. When it is two thirds full, pop the tentacles back into the top of the sac. Secure the tentacles and the top of the squid body with a cocktail stick.

If the squid are to be stir-fried, further preparation will be necessary: Slit the sac from top to bottom and turn it inside out. Flatten it on a board and score the inside surface lightly with a knife, pressing just hard enough to make a criss-cross pattern. Cut lengthways into ribbons. These will curl when cooked.

Tuna

These enormous fish are the big brothers of the mackerel family. Tuna swim enormous distances at speed and this causes the muscles to fill with blood, which explains the deep red color of the fresh fish. The skipjack and the albacore are much sought after by the Japanese for making sashimi and sushi. When grilling or barbecuing tuna, marinate the fish first and then baste it to keep it moist throughout the cooking. It is also good pan-fried.