A superb Whitefish to which chefs are returning with renewed enthusiasm now that sustainable (e.g. MSC certified) stocks are widely available.
The Cod has a long, tapered body with a mixture of sandy-browns, greyish-greens and darker speckles. It also has a distinctive “chin” barbel, a sensory organ that houses the taste buds and helps it search for food.
Whole Cod range from 500g to over 6kg with smaller fish (500g–1.8kg) sometimes known as Codling.
While fillets from smaller fish are most commonly used, it is at its best when loins or suprêmes are cut from larger 4–6kg fish, giving a meatier portion with large, succulent flakes of pure white.
As for cooking, Cod is very versatile and takes most flavours, but requires care as it is easily over-cooked.
This 2014 video share insights into why cod may be considered a sustainable fishery.
This Cod nutritional profile from Seafish provides the macronutrient, vitamin and mineral value of the fish caught in English waters.
This Market Insight factsheet from Seafish provides a full picture of cod in the retail, foodservice and trade markets.
These videos are on the Seafish YouTube channel -seafishtheauthority. For a full list of our training video visit the eLearning section in the menu above.
Availability of fish and shellfish. Yields of filleted fish