Ingredient: Coley

Category: Fish

Season: All

Coley is a rather dull cousin of the cod

Pollock (or pollack, pronounced the same and listed first in most UK and US dictionaries) is the common name used for either of the two species of marine fish in the Pollachius genus. Both P. pollachius and P. virens are commonly referred to as pollock.

Other names for P. pollachius include the Atlantic pollock, European pollock, lieu jaune, and pollock, while P. virens is sometimes known as Boston blues (separate from bluefish), coal fish (or coley) or saithe.

Both species can grow to 3 ft 6 in (1.07 m) and can weigh up to 46 lb (21 kg). Pollock are a "white fish".

Cuisine

Atlantic pollock is largely considered to be a white fish, although it is a fairly strongly flavoured one.

In the United Kingdom

Consumed as an economic and versatile alternative to cod and haddock, in the West Country, elsewhere being known mostly by its traditional use as "Pollack for puss / coley for the cat."

Because of its slightly gray colour it is prepared, as in Norway, as fried fish balls or if juvenile sized maybe breaded with oatmeal and fried as in the Shetland isles.

Year old fish are traditionally split, salted and dried over a peat hearth in the Orkney isles, where their texture becomes wooden and somewhat phosphorescent.

The fish can also be salted and smoked and achieve a salmon like orange colour, as is the case in Germany where the fish is also known as 'seelachs' or 'sea salmon'.

Alaska pollock has a much milder taste, whiter colour and lower oil content.

High quality, single frozen whole Alaska pollock fillets may be layered into a block mould and deep frozen to produce fish blocks.

High quality pollock fish blocks, are used throughout Europe and North America as the raw material for high quality breaded and battered fish products.

Lower quality, double-frozen fillets or minced trim pieces may also be frozen in block forms and used as raw material for lower quality, low-cost breaded and battered fish sticks, portions, etc.

Single frozen Alaska Pollock is considered to be the premier raw material for surimi; the most common use of surimi in the United States is "imitation crabmeat" (also known as crab stick).

Alaska pollock is commonly used in the fast food industry, for their fish fillet product ranges.

A Fleshy, firm fish lends itself to a wide spectrum of seasonings, flavourings and sauces