The Whole Fish Cookbook by Josh Niland – Hardback Cookbook

The Whole Fish Cookbook is the hardback from Sydney chef Josh Niland of Saint Peter in Paddington, and it teaches a nose-to-tail approach to fish, from sourcing, butchering and dry-ageing through to more than 60 recipes that use every part of the catch. It won the James Beard Book of the Year in 2020 and changed how cooks everywhere think about seafood.

The Aussie book that rewrote the rules on fish

Josh treats fish with the respect a good butcher gives a side of beef: age it, break it down properly and waste nothing. Alongside its two 2020 James Beard Awards, the book took the 2019 André Simon Food Award and the Australian Book Industry Association's Illustrated Book of the Year in 2020.

What's inside

The early chapters cover sourcing and storing fish, butchery, dry-ageing and curing, the know-how that makes everything after it possible. Then the recipes travel across dozens of species, putting the parts most of us throw away to work alongside the fillet.

Standout recipes include Smoked Marlin Ham Caesar Salad, Fish Cassoulet, Roast Fish Bone Marrow, Cod Liver Pâté on Toast and Josh's version of The Perfect Fish and Chips. It's a book that gets you buying different fish, not the same salmon fillet on repeat.

Who it's for

Keen seafood cooks, anglers who want to do more with their catch, and anyone who loves a challenge in the kitchen. It's aspirational, so beginners may find some techniques ambitious, but the thinking will improve every fish you cook.

About Josh Niland

Josh Niland is the founder, owner and executive chef of Saint Peter in Sydney's Paddington, celebrated for its whole-fish approach to seafood. The Whole Fish Cookbook was his debut, and he has since written Take One Fish and Fish Butchery.

The Rub Smuggler's Verdict

Off the record, Darryl says this is the most important fish book in years, and it's Aussie to boot. Josh takes the nose-to-tail thinking pitmasters use on a whole beast and applies it to fish: dry-age it, cure it, use every last bit. The Smoked Marlin Ham Caesar Salad nearly knocked Darryl off his stool. Buy it once and you'll never look at a fillet the same way. Pair it with The Fishmonger's Son for everyday seafood cooking and Cooking with Fire when the fish is headed for the coals. Finish with a pinch of Falksalt Wild Garlic flakes.

Questions answered

Who wrote The Whole Fish Cookbook?

The Whole Fish Cookbook was written by Josh Niland, the Australian chef behind Saint Peter in Paddington, Sydney.

What's inside The Whole Fish Cookbook?

It covers sourcing, butchering, dry-ageing and curing fish, then more than 60 recipes for dozens of species that use the whole fish.

Is The Whole Fish Cookbook good for beginners?

It's ambitious in places, but the sourcing and butchery chapters teach the fundamentals, and the ideas will improve any home cook's fish.

Is The Whole Fish Cookbook a hardback, and how many pages?

Yes. It's a 256-page hardback published by Hardie Grant Books in 2019.

Has The Whole Fish Cookbook won awards?

Yes. It won two 2020 James Beard Awards, including Book of the Year, the 2019 André Simon Food Award and the Australian Book Industry Association's Illustrated Book of the Year in 2020.