I love Estonian needlefish

Martin Breuer – Hotelier & Restaurateur Pädaste Manor and Chairman of the Estonian Restaurant Association

My love for needlefish.

I tend to have a certain weakness for the unassuming and the discarded also when it comes to food. Creatures, that often are full of light and beauty upon closer inspection. This is exactly what happened to my relationship with needlefish. When I first came across the fish having just arrived to Estonia I was turned off by the blue fluorescence of its bones and nick-named it the tschernobil fish. How wrong I was to degrade this wonderful fish! 

Only later I discovered its exquisite taste, yes it is full of tiny bones but wait until skilled hands fillet the fish. The filets have great texture and the wonderful combination of fattiness and fishiness create a unique balance when served with a slightly acidy sauce or just a wedge of lemon.

Needlefish makes an extraordinary effort to arrive at our shores in May and June having travelled long distance from the Atlantic Ocean following undeep waters of the shoreline not unlike mackerel. For me the needlefish is one of the wonderful delights that paint our culinary landscape and are worth longing for. I declare my love!