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PRIMARY SOURCE
British Columbia, Alaska, U.S. West Coast
SEASON
Year-round, but heaviest in spring and summer.
FISHING METHOD
Bycatch of trawl and longline fisheries.
DEFECTS
•Grayish flesh color and blood spots indicate bruising and
mishandling.
•Dull eyes and faded gills on whole fish indicate fish is not
as fresh as it could be.
SELLING POINTS
• A great alternative to halibut—at a lesser cost!
• Moist, white and flaky, lingcod is a versatile fish that’s
equally delicious fried or served with an elaborate sauce in a white
tablecloth restaurant.
COOKING SUGGESTIONS
This lean, white fish is similar to halibut in its culinary attributes.
The firm, snow-white flesh is delicious in fish and chips, and is
quite popular along the West Coast. It is also good baked with a
topping such as a sun-dried tomato sauce. Ling Cod can also be grilled
with excellent results.
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SCIENTIFIC NAME: Ophiodon elongatus
MARKET NAME(S): Lingcod, ling.
SIZE RANGE: To 90 lbs., but typically 10-20 lbs.
YIELD: Whole to H&G: 62-74%; whole to skinless, pinbone-in
fillet 27-32%; H&G to skinless, pinbone-in fillet 45-50%.
PRODUCT FORMS:
FRESH & FROZEN: H&G fish (collar-on), skinless, pinbone-in
fillets, pinbone-out fillets and portions.
STORAGE & HANDLING: Fresh lingcod held
at 32°F in ice has a shelf life of up to seven days. Frozen
H&G and fillets held at -5 to -15°F will last a year.
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Lingcod
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It may not be a cod or a
ling, but a lingcod is an exceptionally good-eating fish, a favorite
of West Coast chefs, many of whom prefer it to halibut. Lingcod probably
were named by European fishermen who thought the long, thin fish looked
like their native ling and had the white flesh of a cod. Equipped
with an impressive set of teeth and a huge mouth, lingcod are exceptionally
voracious feeders, who are normally found near rock piles and kelp
beds.
Found from Alaska to California, lingcod are actually members of the
greenling family (Hexagrammidae), which includes sculpins and scorpionfish.
Although lingcod can reach 90 pounds, the average size in the commercial
catch runs between 10 and 15 pounds.
Lingcod are caught mainly as a bycatch of other fisheries, although
there is a small directed fishery in the summer in Southeast Alaska,
where fishermen drag “dingle bars” (a solid steel bar with
jigs trailing behind it) just off the bottom.
Catches of lingcod have dropped significantly this decade, due to
pressure from both commercial and sport fishermen. Currently, annual
catches are less than 4,000 tons, more than half of which comes from
British Columbia. Off the West Coast and Alaska, about 1,000 tons
of lingcod are landed.
The quality—and the price—of lingcod will vary depending
upon the method of harvest. The best lingcod is caught by hook-and-line
boats that bleed and ice their fish immediately after it is caught.
Since the Alaska and B.C. halibut and sablefish fisheries went to
an ITQ system in 1995, the availability and quality of lingcod caught
as a bycatch in these fisheries has improved, as longliners now have
the time and incentive to take care of lingcod and sell it fresh.
As a rule, trawl-caught lingcod is seldom bled, however if the fish
is chilled and delivered in a few days its quality will still be fine,
although its flesh will not be as white as a longline fish that was
promptly bled.
Some lingcod, especially smaller fish caught near shore, will have
an odd bluish-green tinge to their fish. Although it can be alarming
to consumers, this fish will cook up just as white as any lingcod.
In the kitchen, lingcod are a very versatile fish, with a beautiful
white, flaky flesh. In the Pacific Northwest, lingcod is the favorite
fish to fry in the best fish n’ chip restaurants, although sourcing
fresh lingcod year round can present significant challenges at times.
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The
Pacific Advantage
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With
plants from California to Washington, we are a major producer
of lingcod. Our relationships with halibut boats, means we have
a good supply of high quality longline lingcod 9 months of the
year. |
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