whiting | Imamother

avigail ↓

Tue, Mar 01 2011, 7:08 am

never knew what it was, till dh bought it!! want to make it for supper tonight. is it very fishy?
what do I do with it? I'd rather not fry it, but dont like fishy tasting. any ideas? thanx!

Mrs Bissli ↓

Tue, Mar 01 2011, 7:22 am

Mmmmm!!! I usually wash them first, leave whole (I presume you're talking about small ones like
5-10cm length?), dust them with seasoned flour and pan-fry with about 1-inch oil in the pan. Probably fry for about 5min or so total, turning once. Put on a platter with paper towel so that extra oil gets absorbed. Sprinkle with salt (if you need) and squeeze of lemon, EAT WHILE THEY'RE HOT! Totally delish. If you want it spicy, you can dip in combination of vinegar and harissa.

Like any other fish, whiting shouldn't taste or smell fishy if they're fresh. It's firm white flesh, a bit bony but they're small so it's not practical to fillet. Just eat the whole thing with bones (not hard) except for heads. (OK some people eat the whole thing including heads).

Alternatively, you can fry the above way, marinate in sugar/vinegar/sauteed sliced onions/some sultanas or raisins to make into escaveche. Vinegar softens the bones, and you can keep it overnight to the next day. (They're also great for shabbat lunch first course).

↑ avigail

Tue, Mar 01 2011, 7:43 am

are we talking bout the same thing? mine are frozen fillets. not even sure its whiting- called marloza or something which google translated for me as whiting.

imabima

Tue, Mar 01 2011, 7:49 am

I also get whiting fillets that are about 8-10 inches. I bread them and put them on a baking sheet. I spray with cooking spray and bake for about 20 minutes at 375.

MeadowsLane

Tue, Mar 01 2011, 8:00 am

I find that whiting fish fillet tend to fall apart in the oven. The best way I prepare it is by pan frying it. I usually wash and then lightly salt the fish for at least 1 hour. Then I dip fish in flour, then egg, then panko bread crumbs and then fry until golden on each side. Or you can make a batter of flour and eggs, a bit thicker than crepe batter, dip fillet into batter and then fry until golden. Serve with lemon wedges, tastes good warm or cold.

↑ Mrs Bissli

Tue, Mar 01 2011, 4:27 pm

Merluza is hake, much bigger than the finger-sized whiting I was thinking about.
It's quite popular in Spain. You can make into a casserole with sliced potatoes, frozen peas, LOADS of garlic and paprika.