Holy coley! Screamed nobody, ever. That’s a shame, as coley is a fantastic alternative to the much hunted Cod – and there are some fantastic coley recipes.
Part of the cod family, the coley is hugely underrated, but actually offers great eating. The flesh is firm in texture and pulls away from the bone in large flakes. It’s a popular fish along the Baltic coastline, where it can be found salted and smoked.
Coley can be tricky to identify on the fishmonger’s slab. I used to confuse coley with haddock, whiting and pollack. To make matters worse, the coley also goes by the name of saithe and coalfish. Yes, a touch confusing.
However, I’ve since learnt that the coley, or saithe, has a distinctive lateral line that doesn’t clearly bend on its journey from head to tail. The coley also has a slightly protruding lower jaw. If in doubt, just ask the fishmonger.
Coley recipes
As with all members all the cod family, I really like to salt them. Salted coley and whiting goes particularly well with wild garlic and mashed potato.
Another super coley recipe is stew of coley, roasted peppers and small mullet from Mitch Tonks, Fish – the complete fish and seafood companion. You can read our review of Mitch Tonks Fish, or buy the book from Amazon.
In the same book is also a rather nice coley recipe where the fish is poached in olive oil with garlic. Tonks writes, ‘This fish is often overlooked as its past reputation has been so poor, but I think coley treated in this way is magnificent.’
Seasonality
Coley is best avoided between January and March (breeding season).
Sustainability
Read more on the latest Marine Conservation Society Good Fish Guide ratings.