Species sheet · The Edible Ocean
Saithe
Slender, silvery and often overlooked.
- Poached in fish stock
- Smoked as fillets
- In fish soup
- In French
- Lieu noir
- Scientific name
- Pollachius virens
- In the water
- A demersal fish of the north-east Atlantic, forming schools near the seabed between 37 and 364 m.
- Season & buying
- Present year-round; landings vary by fishing area.
- Common length
- ~60 cm
- How to identify it
- Slender silvery body
Pale lateral line
Small barbel on the chin
On the plate
White, firm and mild flesh, close to cod.
Avoid: Drying it out: prefer poaching or a gentle stew.
Young fish are sometimes called coalfish, while adults take the name saithe.
In Umay recipes
3 Umay recipes call for it.
