It is presently being used as a replacement for cod in many food products. Birds Eye had started using Alaskan pollock by 2007 for its fish fingers.
Pollack has grey flesh that cooks up white and flaky.
The term pollack is actually used for several similar but distinct species of fish:
- Pollachius pollachius (aka Atlantic pollock, European pollock, lieu jaune, and lythe)
- Pollachius virens (aka Boston blues (not bluefish), coalfish (or coley), saithe.)
- Theragra Chalcogramma (aka Alaska pollock, Walleye pollock, “colin d’Alaska” in French)
- Theragra Finnmarchia (aka Norwegian pollock)
The pollachius species of pollack can grow up to 42 inches long (1.07 m), weighing up to 46 pounds (21 kg.) The fish have a silver line down their sides, with a greenish-black back, and a white belly. They live in water up to 180 metres deep. In North America, the fish range from North Carolina up to Gulf of St. Lawrence on the Atlantic. In the North Pacific, the fish ranges from Japan to Alaska.
The fish is thought to be plentiful and environmentally responsible to harvest. There are some concerns, though, that in the Bering Sea it isn’t as plentiful as was thought, now that it has become a fishing target.
Traditionally, Pollack was viewed as a “cheap” fish. It has been dyed a reddish colour to make a cheap fake salmon, which didn’t help its reputation. It is still regarded by many chefs as tasteless.
Consequently, in 2009, the UK supermarket giant Sainsbury’s decided to rename the Pollock it sells, from Pollack to “Colin”, (based on one of the French names for the fish, “colin jaune”.) Sainsbury’s had found that shoppers were too embarrassed to ask for Pollock by name, owing to the “cheapness” associated with it.
In 2009, sales of Pollack in Britain increased 40.5% over the previous year. [1]
Cooking Tips
Typical handlings for Pollack include breading and frying.
Sources
[1] Elliott, Valerie. Pollock and catfish on the menu as cod sales sink. London: The Times. 22 March 2010.
Bluemink, Elizabeth. Bering Sea pollock survey finds fewer fish than anticipated. Anchorage Daily News. 18 September 2009.
Fletcher, Ian: Piece of cod is becoming a luxury item: Manufacturers turn to pollock for ready meals and fish fingers. London: The Observer. Sunday, 24 January 2010. P. 20.
Hickman, Martin. Store renames fish to spare embarrassment. London: The Independent. 6 April 2009.
Poulter, Sean. Birds Eye change to pollock fish fingers to save cod stocks. London: Daily Mail. 3 August 2007.
Sexton, David. You won’t catch me with pollock on my plate. London: This is London. 9 May 2008.