Ingredient: Whiting
Category: Fish
Season: All
Merlangius merlangus, commonly known as whiting (or 'English whiting' in the USA) is an important food fish in the eastern North Atlantic, northern Mediterranean, western Baltic, and Black Sea.
In English speaking countries outside the whiting's natural range , the name has been applied to various other species of fish:
A number of Actinopterygiian fish have been given the common name whiting.
Gadiformes (Cod-like)
In the USA, the name whiting on its own is often used for various species of hake in genus Merluccius.
In Canada, it is used for the Alaska pollock, Theragra chalcogramma.
Smelt-whitings
In India, Australia and throughout the Indo-Pacific, the name whiting (with an adjective before it) is used for various species of the family Sillaginidae, a family of Perciform fishes.
Well known members of this family include: King George whiting, Japanese whiting, northern whiting, sand whiting and school whiting.
Until the later twentieth century, whiting was a cheap fish , regarded as food for the poor or for pets, but the general decline in fish stocks means that it is now more highly valued.
A cheaper, but succulent alternative to cod or haddock
A Fleshy, firm fish lends itself to a wide spectrum of seasonings , flavourings and sauces |