Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
LATIN NAME
Merlangius merlangus
SEASONALITY
Avoid February–May when spawning
HABITAT
Northeast Atlantic, including all around the British coast
MCS RATING
2–5
REC MINIMUM SIZE
30cm
MORE RECIPES
Pollack with courgettes and cannellini beans; Zander with coriander and chilli dressing; Herbed pouting fish fingers; Rice and fish with wasabi dressing
SOURCING
Whiting doesn’t get enough respect. The insults begin out at sea: once hauled up in a net, the chances are this fish will be chucked right back. The discard rate is as high as 80 per cent in some fisheries – a shocking figure. This is partly due to restrictive quotas but also because fishermen won’t land what people won’t buy. Whiting is not generally a targeted fish but taken as by-catch by trawlers looking for other species. And we value this slender, bug-eyed brother of the cod so little, that it is seen as dispensable.
One thing that would help the whiting’s cause is more selective fishing gear. This would prevent such high discard rates of juvenile fish, allowing consistently larger fish to reach the market. And when we do see such specimens, or their pleasingly tapering fillets, on sale, we should vote with our frying pans. Whiting from the Celtic Sea, Cornwall and English Channel are the ones to buy: stocks are in rude health here and MCS have this British whiting on their ‘Fish to Eat’ list of good, sustainable choices.
Give whiting the plain frying or grilling treatment and it won’t compete with the flavour and texture of gurnard or wild bream. But whiting’s soft white flesh is perfect for battering or breadcrumbing. It’s a great choice for goujons, or a hot fish sandwich piled with salad and mayo. And it works a treat in stews, soups, curries and fish pies.
Like many white fish, whiting is also a prime candidate for a light salting, which firms and seasons its delicate fillets. Apply a generous sprinkling of fine sea salt to the flesh, leave for just 10–15 minutes then rinse and pat dry. Try lightly salted whiting cubed and combined with grated potato and a trickle of beaten egg, then fried into rösti-style fish cakes. Served with a blob of home-made tartare sauce, they are out of this world.
Seek out whiting in the autumn and early winter, when it’s at its best, and cook it as soon as possible to make the most of the flesh in its firmest, sweetest state.
CRUMBED WHITING GOUJONS WITH CURRIED EGG TARTARE
Crisp, crunchy goujons, dipped into a spiced-up tartare sauce, make irresistible finger food. Any white fish can be used here, but it’s a great way to make the most of whiting. Serves 4
4 whiting fillets (500g in total)
5 tbsp plain flour
2 medium eggs, lightly beaten
125g fresh fine breadcrumbs
1 tsp crushed fenugreek seed
A pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground turmeric
Vegetable oil (refined rapeseed oil), for frying
Sea salt and black pepper
FOR THE CURRIED TARTARE
2 tbsp good mayonnaise
1 tbsp plain wholemilk yoghurt
1 hard-boiled egg, chopped
1–2 gherkins, finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped coriander
2 tbsp raisins
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp English mustard
To make the curried egg tartare, simply mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and season with salt and pepper if required. Set aside while you cook the fish.
Slice each whiting fillet into 5–6 long fingers, cutting at an angle across the fillet.
Put the flour on a plate and season it well. Pour the beaten egg into a shallow dish. Put the breadcrumbs on another plate and mix with a little salt, the ground fenugreek, cayenne and turmeric.
Dip each fillet first in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess, then into the egg and finally in the seasoned breadcrumbs, patting them on so they form an even layer all over.
Heat about a 5mm depth of oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. To test whether it is hot enough, throw in a few breadcrumbs; they should immediately ‘fizz’ and bubble vigorously in the oil.
Put the crumbed goujons into the pan (you might need to cook them in a couple of batches). Fry for 2–3 minutes, without moving the fish, until the breadcrumbs are crisp and crunchy underneath. Carefully turn the goujons over and cook for 2–3 minutes on the other side. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain.
Serve the goujons hot, with the curried egg tartare.