What is merlang fish? Not everyone knows what the blue whiting hides under this name. This fish is also called the Black Sea cod. For a long time, it was considered a product of the second grade. In everyday life, the blue whiting was even called "cat fish", as it was often used to feed domestic animals. Mistresses rarely cook merlang dishes. However, this fish is healthy and nutritious. If you follow all the rules for the preparation of blue whiting, then from it you can make a delicious diet dish.
Description
Merlang fish of the cod family can have different sizes. Most often, her body is up to 35 cm long. Individuals with dimensions of 40-50 cm are less common. A larger blue whiting (up to 60-70 cm) lives in the southern seas. In Russian retail chains, merlang from northern latitudes is usually found, which has a small body size.
Three fins are located on the back of the fish. They are a short distance from each other. The back of the merlang has a different color - from greenish to gray, the sides are silvery, and the abdominal part is white. The caudal fin is not bifurcated; its shape is almost square. Photos of merlang fish can be seen above.
Habitat
Merlang is found in the Atlantic Ocean - from the Barents Sea to the coast of Spain and Portugal. Blue whiting is divided into two types:
The first type of merlang lives in the north-eastern part of the ocean. Northern individuals are small. They rarely reach a size of more than 30-35 cm. It is this type of fish that is most often found on the shelves of Russian stores. Southern merlang lives in the Aegean, Adriatic and Mediterranean seas. This fish can reach a body length of 60-70 cm and weigh up to 1.5 kg. The largest caught individual had a body size of about 90 cm.
Blue whiting lives in the Black Sea. This species of fish is slightly different from its southern relatives. It has small dimensions (up to 25 cm), a yellowish body color and a small antenna on the chin. It is believed that the Black Sea merlang fish does not have commercial value because of its small size. However, its fillet is juicy, which allows you to use it fried. The Black Sea variety of blue whiting often becomes an object of amateur fishing.
Fish benefits
Contrary to popular belief that blue whiting is second-rate, culinary experts and nutritionists note the following beneficial properties of merlang fish:
- Low calorie content. 100 g of fish contains only 88 kcal. Dishes from merlang can be safely consumed by people who want to lose extra pounds. Blue whiting is low in fat. The fish contains virtually no carbohydrates.
- High protein content. This provides fish nutrition at a low calorie content.
- Blue whiting is a source of nutrients. It contains vitamins B12, A, D, as well as trace elements such as fluorine, phosphorus, zinc, molybdenum and others. These substances contribute to the good condition of the skin, teeth and bones, as well as support the immune system and improve vision.
Blue whiting is often obtained for the production of fish oil. Merlang meat contains virtually no harmful lipids. It contains only healthy fats, which are recommended for people with autoimmune diseases (lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis).
Is blue whiting harmful
Frequent consumption of this fish can not harm the body. You only need to be careful when preparing dishes for children, because in the merlang contains quite a lot of bones. Blue whiting should not be consumed by people suffering from food allergies to fish products. It is a common misconception that fish merlang is a source of parasites. For this reason, many people are afraid to eat blue whiting dishes. When cutting fish, you can notice reddish threads resembling worms. However, do not worry - this is how the parts of the intestines of the merlang look.
It is important to remember that fish parasites usually have a whitish color. The greatest danger to humans is represented by helminths that live not in the intestines, but in the fillet (muscles). Therefore, blue whiting must be subjected to thorough heat treatment, as well as gutting and washing before cooking. However, this applies to any type of fish. Rinse the chopping board well as well. There is also a myth that eating blue whiting increases the risk of cancer. These rumors are completely groundless. The fillet of merlang does not contain any carcinogenic substances, and it can be eaten without harm to the body.
Taste and smell
Merlang fish have a sweet, pleasant taste. But she is somewhat dry. However, a juicy dish can be prepared from blue whiting, you only need to know some of the secrets of processing. Also, merlang has a pronounced fish smell. To many people it seems unpleasant. To get rid of this aroma, you need to stand the fish in a marinade with lemon juice for about 30 minutes.
Cooking secrets
How to cook merlang fish? Blue whiting is not suitable for making soups. The broth will exude a too pungent odor. Boiled merlang is best used for salads. At the same time, the dish should not be stored for a long time, since the blue whiting fillet dries very quickly.
To make the fish juicy, it is useful to hold it for about 20-30 minutes in a marinade with spices. When fried, the merlang is often dry. This fish is best baked or cooked in a dough. You can cook a great snack for a festive table made of blue whiting under the marinade. Also, this fish is used as minced meat for cutlets.
Before cooking, you need to cut off all the fins, gut and rinse the fish thoroughly. You can also hold the carcass in a salt solution for about 30 minutes, this will help destroy possible parasites. As already mentioned, the blue whiting contains a lot of bones. However, the ridge with ribs is very easily separated from the fillet.
Next, we will consider several recipes with blue whiting.
In the oven
Merlang can be cooked in a baked form. We will need a pound of fish and the same amount of potatoes, 2 onions, a little mayonnaise, salt and oil. You must also pre-purchase a bag of spices for fish dishes.
You need to prepare the carcasses of the fish, and then grate them with a ready-made mixture of spices. Peel and cut potatoes in circles. Then grease the mold with butter and place the potatoes in it, and on top - the blue whiting. If the fish carcasses are too large, then they can be cut into pieces. A small fish is put in its entirety. Top with chopped onion and salt a little. Then cover the future dish with a layer of mayonnaise. The oven must be heated to 200 degrees. Blue whiting with potatoes and mayonnaise is baked for about half an hour.
Breaded
First you need to make the dough. To do this, mix 2 eggs with 2 tablespoons of flour. Fins are cut from the carcasses of the blue whiting, then the fish must be gutted and washed. For this dish, it is better to use fish fillet. If you purchased a carcass with bones, then you need to cut the abdomen of the merlang and remove the ridge with ribs.
The fish is cut into small pieces, dipped in dough, then put on a baking sheet, greased with olive oil. The oven is heated to 190 degrees. To bake blue whiting in the test takes about 20 minutes.
In the marinade
You need to take a pound of merlang, 150 g each of onions and carrots and 2 garlic cloves. We also need tomato sauce (about 300-400 g), bay leaves, salt and any vegetable oil. Chop the carrots and onions and sauté over low heat. Then in a future marinade put tomato sauce, grated garlic, salt and bay leaf. The mixture must be extinguished for another 5 minutes.
Prepare the fish and put it in a mold. Then pour hot tomato mixture and bake for about 20 minutes. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees. Blue whiting in marinade can be served immediately after cooking as a hot dish. You can also cool the fish and use as a cold appetizer. This dish resembles canned fish in tomato to taste.
Conclusion
It can be concluded that merlang dishes are a tasty and healthy product. All myths about the harm of blue whiting are associated only with the cheapness of this fish. Do not believe such rumors. Nutritionists recommend that you often include blue whiting in your daily diet. This will help to enrich your body with proteins, vitamins and minerals and at the same time not to gain excess weight.