A recipe to take the fear out of cooking whole fish

Are you afraid of cooking a whole fish? I must admit I rarely cook anything with its head on, but Elizabeth Hewson 's recipe this week may change my mind. "From one home cook to another, once you’ve mastered it you won’t look back," she writes. "Not only does a whole fish make an impressive presentation, but cooking it on the bone, as with meat, ­delivers the best flavour." I will give her recipe for snapper acqua pazza a go, and as she explains, you can also do it with fish fillets if that's your preference. Try too her cute little hazelnut cookies.

Meanwhile Yotam Ottolenghi needs no introduction. The English-Israeli chef is a master of flavour and this week we have three recipes from his new book Comfort. Try his spicy chicken thighs, his salmon tray bake or a very unusual and delicious-sounding potato salad recipe. You can't lose with one of his recipes.

Happy cooking.

Cellar director John Lehmann selects three stunning McLaren Vale shirazs for a huge saving of $144 in a super six deal. Click the link to see the deal. Details here.

Melbourne chef Ben Shewry does not hold back in his new memoir when it comes to his relationship with restaurant critics. Shewry believes the restaurant industry has been in the thrall of critics for too long, arguing that most critics are underbaked when it comes to expertise and have inflated egos.  "Many food reviewers justify their role as a service to the public, but few grasp the responsibility and privilege they have. Often, they work with little expertise. It takes a minimum of 15 years of continuous focus to get good at all aspects of cooking; it can take a food critic one sideways promotion to find themselves in a position where they are judging the results of that cooking." Is he correct? You be the judge by reading the piece here.