Ingredients
Haddock
Other Names: Aiglefin, ânon, églefin (French); anon, eglefino, liba (Spanish); arinca (Portuguese); bakaliáros (Greek); eglefino (Italian); hyse, kolje (Norwegian); kuller (Danish); montsukidara (Japanese); piksha (Russian); schellfisch (German); schelvis (Dutch); ysa (Icelandic). Gadidae.
General Description: Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) are perhaps the most prized member of the cod family because of their delicate flavor and melt-in-the-mouth texture. They are similar in appearance to the much larger Atlantic cod, though with less mottled skin, and can be identified by the black mark on the head area just above the
pectoral fin. Scrods are small, head-on, gutted haddock between 1 1/2 to 2 pounds. Smaller haddock are called snapper haddock; those over 2 1/2 pound are large haddock. Haddock is cold-smoked as Scotland’s famous finnan haddie. Haddock are caught by longlines and trawl nets. This tender, mild fish is quite versatile in the kitchen.
Locale and Season: Haddock are wild-caught fish found on both sides of the North Atlantic. They are fished in Canada,
Iceland, Norway, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Fresh haddock fillets are most abundant in June, though they are imported from Iceland year-round. Peak season in the United States and Canada is June through October.
Characteristics: Market weight is 2 to 5 pounds. Overfishing makes haddock relatively scarce and also expensive. Haddock meat has a delicate, fine flake and slightly sweet flavor; once cooked, the firm yet tender meat holds together. The meat is lean. The raw meat is white, and when cooked, it is even whiter.
How to Choose: Haddock fillets are smaller and have a finer flake than cod. When sold filleted as scrod, they usually have their skin. Choose haddock with firm, resilient flesh.
Storage: Store whole haddock up to 2 days refrigerated; store fillets 1 day.
Preparation:
Small fillets can be sautéed or breaded and pan-fried;
large fish are suitable for soups, stews, and chowders
and can also be poached or pan-fried.
Suggested Recipe: Broiled Haddock with Egg Sauce (serves 4): Sprinkle 2 pounds haddock fillet with salt and pepper and dot with butter. Arrange in an oiled baking pan
and broil 5 to 10 minutes, or until the fish flakes. Remove the fish from the oven and pour off any cooking juices into a small pot, keeping the fish warm separately. Boil the juices until syrupy. Whisk in 3 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons each chopped marjoram, thyme, and parsley, and 3 chopped hardcooked eggs. Serve over the fish.
Flavor Affinities: Bacon, butter, chervil, chives, cream, egg, onion, parsley, potato, scallion, shallot, thyme, white wine.
from Quirk Books: www.quirkbooks.com
