Gill Meller
LATIN NAME
Pollachius pollachius
ALSO KNOWN AS
Lythe, pollock
SEASONALITY
Avoid January–April when spawning
HABITAT
Throughout the northeast Atlantic; common all around the British Isles
MCS RATING
3–4
REC MINIMUM SIZE
50cm
MORE RECIPES
Sea beet and smoked pollack pasties; Cod with fennel, capers and tomatoes; Coley with bacon, apples and hazelnuts; Zander with coriander and chilli dressing; Crumbed whiting goujons with curried egg tartare; Herbed pouting fish fingers; Smoked haddock jacket potatoes; Rice and fish with wasabi dressing
SOURCING
goodfishguide.org; linecaught.org.uk; cornwallgoodseafoodguide.co.uk
Once championed as the saviour of our seas, a truly ethical fish, pollack rode high with an MCS rating of ‘2’ – indicating we should eat more of it. But this cod cousin, also known as lythe, now carries a ‘3’ or even a ‘4’ rating, this last indicating it should be eaten only occasionally.
As ever with fish, it’s complicated. At River Cottage, we try to get local line-caught pollack, landed by the South-West Handline Fishermen Association, which is a very sustainable choice. Caught by highly selective baited lines, there is no by-catch and no damage to the seabed. You can also buy Alaska pollack – both as the whole fish and in products such as fish fingers – which is certified by the MSC as sustainable. This is actually a different species, Theragra chalcogramma, but is a similarly versatile, firm white fish.
Other pollack may be more problematic. Information on numbers is patchy, but it is known that stocks in the North Sea, and Skagerrak and Kattegat (between the coasts of Norway, Sweden and Denmark) have declined to low levels. The current scientific advice is that fewer pollack should be caught there now, relative to the last few years. These pollack are also mainly taken in trawl and gill-net fisheries, both of which can have an impact on the environment and vulnerable wildlife.
This is all the more regrettable because pollack has rightly enjoyed a renaissance in recent years. Long derided as ‘cat food’ and cod’s very poor relation, it is finally being appreciated for the delicious fish it is. It’s very cod-like, though it lacks cod’s pristine whiteness. Pollack flesh softens a little more quickly and easily too, if it’s not swiftly and scrupulously iced – but disappointing pollack is a result of poor handling and lack of freshness, not some inherent flaw in the fish itself.
Luckily, it’s the most sustainably caught pollack that is likely to be least damaged and best looked-after on its way from sea to plate. Trawled and netted pollack that are taken by fishermen looking for other species tend to be treated with less respect – and any trawled fish suffers more trauma than a line-caught specimen as it’s tumbled together with a hotchpotch of other species. I continue to use South-West, line-caught pollack as an alternative to cod and haddock. And it can be used in the same ways as either of those fish, with equally handsome results.
Pollack has scales that should be removed before cooking. I usually cook it with the skin on but, if you remove the skin (which I do if steam-braising, see below), it can be fried into a crisp, salty treat. Heat a little olive or rapeseed oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Season the fish skin and fry it quite ‘hard’, turning regularly, until golden and crisp, then drain on kitchen paper and season with a bit more salt and pepper before devouring.
If you are lucky enough to come by a big, whole pollack, I highly recommend removing the head, cutting away a generous portion of ‘shoulder’ with it, and roasting this whole, studded with herbs and garlic, in a hot oven for about half an hour. Picking away the succulent flesh from the roasted head is hands-on eating at its most rewarding.
Pollack flesh also works very well beer-battered and deep-fried, or made into fish fingers or goujons, or as the white fish element in a fish pie, fish curry or a fishy soup or stew. But pollack is quite good enough to enjoy entirely on its own merits – as a simply cooked fillet.
You can cook the flesh just as it comes but I often give it a light salting (as with many other species of white fish) to firm and season it: this can dramatically improve the finished dish. It can then be fried in a pan, roasted or treated to what, at River Cottage, we call ‘steam-braising’. This is a simple technique that creates a lovely little pool of juices with which to sauce your fish. In a wide saucepan, heat a little oil and butter, a splash each of white wine, water and lemon juice, a little chopped garlic and some bay, and bring to a simmer. Cut some skinned pollack fillet into chunky medallions (cross-sections of the fillet), season and add them to the pan. Cover and cook very gently for 3–4 minutes, then turn the fish gently over in the juices and cook for a couple of minutes more until done.
However it’s cooked, I love pollack accompanied by something a little salty such as chorizo, bacon or olives. Similarly, a spoonful of salsa verde or tapenade makes an excellent dressing. Pollack also takes on curry spices exceptionally well.
POLLACK WITH COURGETTES AND CANNELLINI BEANS
This is a lovely, light way to serve pollack – or any chunky white fish – in late summer, with lots of lemon and herbs to add fragrance and a zest. Serves 2
2 portions of pollack fillet (about 125g each)
1 tbsp fine sea salt
2 firm, small-medium courgettes
2 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
400g tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
A knob of butter
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped dill
1 tbsp extra virgin olive or rapeseed oil
Sea salt and black pepper
Place the pieces of pollack, skin side down, on a board or plate and scatter over the salt. Leave for 20–25 minutes, then rinse well under a gently running cold tap and pat dry with kitchen paper.
Preheat your grill to high. Trim the courgettes and slice into 5mm thick rounds. Place them in a bowl, trickle over 1 tbsp oil, then season well with salt and pepper.
Lay the courgettes in a single layer on a large baking tray and place under the grill. Cook for 8–10 minutes on each side or until blistered and golden. When they’re almost done, scatter over the beans, squeeze over half the lemon juice and sprinkle with the lemon zest. Place the tray back under the grill for 1–2 minutes to heat the beans through.
Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp oil and, when hot, add the lightly salted pollack, skin side down. Cook for 3–4 minutes, then turn the fish and cook for a further minute. Turn the heat off and add the butter and remaining lemon juice to the pan. Baste the fish with the butter as it melts.
Stir the parsley and dill though the courgettes and beans along with the extra virgin oil and a little salt and pepper if needed.
Divide the courgettes between warm plates and top each with a piece of fish, along with any buttery, lemony pan juices.
