RECI PES
Day of the Catch INDIE EATS
THE FIN BOYS, AKA RICHARD STOKES AND JAY SCRIMSHAW, TELL US ABOUT THEIR MISSION TO CHANGE THE WAY WE VIEW FISH – AND REVEAL SOME OF THEIR FAVOURITE RECIPES
WORDS BY NICOLA FOLEY IMAGES BY DAISY DICKINSON
hen it comes to Cambridge food legends, Richard Stokes and Jay Scrimshaw are up
BIG FISH Jay Scrimshaw (left) and Richard Stokes outside Fin Boys
there with the best. As well as cooking in top kitchens internationally, between them they’ve headed up some of the city’s finest restaurants and street food trucks. Stokes cut his teeth at Chez Panisse and The Slanted Door, going on to become chef patron at The Three Horseshoes in Madingley and, eventually, head chef at Parker’s Tavern, while Scrimshaw’s CV rattles off The Pheasant at Keyston (where he was a finalist on
a whistle-stop tour of Fin Boys’ favourites with the seven-course tasting menu. For those who enjoy watching chefs at work, a spot at the pass – which gives a front row view of the action – is a must, and the team delight in sharing their knowledge and offering advice on all things fish, from new species to try, to storage and recipes. “Good food, good wine and a good atmosphere is what we’re about,” says Jay. “But we want to educate people, too. If someone comes in and they’re really enthusiastic about what they’re eating, we’ll get enthusiastic and give them little bits to try and tell them more about it!” The immediate plan for the Fin Boys is to spread the word about their unique offering in the city. Beyond that, the ambition is to become a one-stop shop for fish – whether dining or buying to cook at home, offering recipe cards and boxes with all you need to make the dishes. Turn the page for a taster of the sort of delightful fare you can expect...
At the counter, you’ll find a carefully curated selection that might include sea trout, lemon sole and king prawns, as well as intensely flavoured, dry-aged varieties such as Spanish mackerel and swordfish. On the restaurant side, food is
straightforward (“not messed around with”, as Jay puts it), placing excellent fish front and centre and allowing it to shine. The menu incorporates Spanish and Asian influences, offering up lip-smacking sea bream tacos, crisp salmon belly with yuzu kosho, and exquisite
Gordon Ramsay’s The F Word ), Bibendum, Chez Bruce, and Guerrilla Kitchen here in Cambridge. The powerhouse pair have now joined forces to create Fin Boys – a sleek new seafood restaurant on Mill Road. “Fresh fish,
GOOD FOOD, GOOD WINE AND A GOOD ATMOSPHERE
roast monkfish alongside a creamy Goan curry sauce. There’s classic seafood fare, too, from the plates of glistening Porthilly oysters to the salty Galician sardines and juicy lobster. Diners can opt for brunch, lunch from the à la carte menu, or enjoy
simply prepared, is how we’d sum up it up,” says Jay. “As well as sitting down to eat here, people can buy fresh fish at the counter to cook at home. Cambridge has needed a fish restaurant and fishmonger for years – there’s a big demand for it.”
CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 53
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