whole whiting

2020-09-30

Whiting is not a bad fish, at least it shouldn't be.

I found these at our local grocery store Peppers, a 5 lb. box. When I opened the box, the fish inside were frozen in a solid lock, meaning that I'd have to thaw out the whole box to get even one fish. In my experience, this means that the fish was thawed out for a while somewhere along the way and quality may be questionable.

This was no exception. They were not cleaned very well, and the remaining innards tend to go bad very quickly. As soon as I could separate the fish, I rinsed, cleaned them and repackaged them by threes, wrapped in parchment paper so that they wouldn't stick together again. At least, rinsing and cleaning out the remaining guts resolve the problem of bad odor.

These fish were about 10-12 oz. each = the size of medium rainbow trout, meaning they'd still fit on a standard 10" dinner plate. I think I'll try them with a batter next time, as is shown on the box.

INGREDIENTS

This is what you need for 2 servings:

2-3 whole whiting
S&P
lemon / lime juice

Pic1: roasted whole whiting

Directions

2020-09-30

Pic2-4: thawing out a 5 lb. box

Force thawing under running water to quickly separate the fish.
This doesn't that out the fish, only the frozen water that holds them together.
Once separated, repackage immediately and return to the freezer.
I highly recommend thawing the fish completely before cooking, either under running water or under refrigeration. That way you can verify by smell that the fish is still fresh (enough) to be eaten.
If a frozen fish smells bad, don't bother. Toss it.
Such fish were likely thawed in transit and refrozen.

Pic5-7: bake & serve

Season the fish to taste.
Bake in some cooking oil for 20-30 minutes at 350 ºF.
- These are relatively thick for their size, so longer cooking time may be needed to cook them throughout down to the central bones, especially if you start with a frozen fish.
- The skin and bones should separate easily from the meat.
- The meat should flake without being too dry.
Serve and enjoy.

See also: Deming, NM gardens, animals and more and avemariasongs.org

See also: Deming, NM gardens, animals and more
and avemariasongs.org