The Fish We Cooked, Haddock, Finnan Haddie, Sablefish

HADDOCK

Haddock is a member of the cod family found in the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean from Greenland to Virginia. It lives on the bottom of the ocean in deep water and is very important to commercial fishermen. It has the same basic shape as the other cod, but is distinguished by a smaller mouth and a dark spot on the chest fin. Haddocks are purple on top with a lighter belly and can also be recognized by the black line that runs horizontally the length of the fish. They average around 3 pounds, but can grow up to 37 pounds and 44 inches long. Small haddock are usually split in half and marketed as scrod. Haddock has a chewy, layered flesh that is very mild in flavor and low in fat. The best way to cook haddock is baked, grilled, baked, steamed, sautéed or poached.

finnan haddie

Finnan Haddie is a very popular dish in Scandinavian cuisine, especially during the Christmas season. The truth is that it was actually first made by the Scots in the 17th century. Finnan haddie is a piece of raw fish, usually haddock or cod, that is cold-smoked, just slightly, to give the raw fish a smoky flavor. After smoking, it turns a golden brown color on the outside with a white center. It has a rich smoky flavor and is low in fat. The traditional way of cooking finnan haddie is to poach it in milk, but it can also be baked or steamed.

SABLEFISH

Because of its long, slender body, which somewhat resembles a cod, the sablefish is sometimes called Alaskan cod or sablefish, even though it is not a member of the cod family. It is a bottom-feeding fish found in the Pacific from Alaska to northern California, primarily in the Bering Sea. The sablefish is black or dark green with a slightly lighter belly and averages 8 pounds 30 inches long and can grow up to 56 pounds 40 inches. Its meat is creamy white. Due to its melting buttery meat, it is sometimes called butterfish and is often smoked and sold as smoked sablefish. Their flavor and texture are often compared to pricey Chilean sea bass, but sablefish are far more abundant. Sablefish have very soft meat that is mild in flavor and high in fat. The best way to cook black cod is baked, grilled, steamed, or poached.