Here's What It Means When Your Recipe Calls For White Fish

There's a high likelihood that you have white fish in your freezer. Do you know what type of fish it actually is, though? If you've bought a generic bag of fillets labeled "white fish," you may not have any idea. While that's not inherently a problem, it's definitely worth thinking about whether that white fish will work in your recipe.

White fish is a catch-all phrase for fish that has white, flaky flesh, and it's used in pretty much everything, from fish tacos to white fish salad. However, there's not just one white fish out there. Loads of different varieties of fish have that very color and consistency, and they also have subtle, but identifiable flavor and texture differences that distinguish them from one another. White fish can vary in fat content, firmness, and moisture levels, and all of these factors make a surprisingly big difference to the recipe you're using them in. We decided that it was time that white fish varieties stop being swapped out for one another in a random, haphazard way, and instead thought that we should identify exactly what makes each type of white fish work well in certain recipes. The best ways to use them all might surprise you.

Fish varieties generally fall into two different categories: White (like cod, halibut, pollock, and tilapia) and dark (like salmon, tuna, and swordfish). Anyone who's tried both will know that the two have pretty different flavor profiles. What might surprise you, though, is why that's the case.

The reason why fish have white and dark meat comes down to how active the fish is. Fish like salmon, tuna, and swordfish are continuous swimmers, usually because they follow a migration pattern over long distances. Other fish, like cod or haddock, don't tend to swim as constantly. As a result, the muscles of white fish are used less, whereas the muscles of dark fish are used more. This creates more myoglobin in the dark fish's muscles, which then gives them their deeper color. It also affects their flavor, making them taste fuller and richer.

Crucially, though, just because white fish don't have as much myoglobin as dark fish, doesn't mean that their flavors can't be different. Each white fish out there has developed in its own way and lives in its own habitat, which creates differences in taste and texture. Figuring out which taste and texture is right for your recipe can be harder than you'd think.

Halibut is one of the most popular white fish varieties out there, despite its slightly higher price point than other comparable types. Ordering the halibut is generally considered a classy choice, and is prized for its gently sweet flavor. Its delicate taste is like a few other types of white fish, but it's also closer to shellfish like crab or lobster. It also has a delightfully firm texture, that doesn't flake too easily — unlike types like haddock, which tend to separate with little resistance.

Its combination of gentle sweetness and sturdy texture means that it goes well with spicier flavors. Halibut holds its own incredibly well in fish tacos, where other white fish can flake apart too easily or get swallowed up by the spice blend. Its sweet undertone, meanwhile, helps to counterbalance more fiery seasonings and give them a slightly sugary contrast that keeps things dynamic. As well as fish tacos, halibut works well when poached in a spicy, coconut-laced Thai curry sauce. Blackening it after coating it in a crust of complex, aromatic spices can also be a great move to generate maximum flavor.

Cod is one of those white fishes that everyone knows. You can find it in most supermarkets, and can use it in most dishes without fear of messing them up. Cod has a subtle flavor, which is part of its appeal, but next time you're eating it pay attention to its sweet-savory profile. While it's not hugely prominent, it's this understated yet varied flavor profile that makes it work in so many different applications.

The main reason we think cod is a winner, though, is because of its firmness. Now, don't get us wrong here: We know that cod is a flaky fish, and that when it's thoroughly cooked it can come apart pretty easily. However, it's still firmer than other white fish like haddock, and certain varieties like Norwegian cod have a notable sturdiness that sets them apart. This firmer nature makes it a great choice for chunking up and putting into stews, as it won't fall apart as easily as other white fish. It won't get in the way of your sauce's flavors, but instead gently improve them. Just make sure you're giving yourself generous chunks to work with, as anything too small may well break up and disappear into the liquid.

All white fish is pretty versatile, but there's something about haddock which makes it particularly well-suited to different uses. Its strengths lie in its combination of gentle yet slightly fishy flavor and leanness. Haddock has a briny edge to it that helps it lean into certain flavor profiles excellently, and this helps it hold its own against stronger, more punchy tastes. As such, it's especially good paired with flavorful, salty batters, with its lean nature stopping it from getting too moist and bogged down in fat.

This brininess also goes well with smoky notes, and this white fish is one of the best out there to smoke over peat. This gives it a robust, deep, woody flavor that doesn't completely overtake the delicacy of the fish itself. Smoked haddock is particularly tasty in dishes that call for combos of white fish with tangy flavors, like cheese or mustard-based sauces.

Bear in mind though that haddock is pretty flaky, so it's best not to use it in any applications where its falling apart might be an issue. This is why coating it in batter and frying it works so well: The batter holds everything together, stopping you from losing pieces of fish in the hot oil.

One of the most common mistakes about white fish is that it's not moist enough. Well, that usually happens because you've picked the wrong white fish. Options like haddock and cod can get dry pretty quickly and lose all of their moisture. Grouper, on the other hand, tends to have a good moisture level to it – especially if you keep its skin on to cook it, which helps it retain more of its omega-3 fatty acids. Red grouper is even more moist, although it can't really be considered a white fish.

Its moisture makes it a good choice in recipes that call for a dry rub or seasoning mix, instead of a heavy, wet marinade. Opting for the latter may cause the grouper to become too bogged down in moisture. It's also a solid option in baked fish dishes, thanks again to its ability to stay moist (although you need to be careful not to overcook it). Lubricating it well with heart-healthy fats like olive oil will help it to stay nice and juicy and lock in the fish's natural flavors.

Hake is a white fish that tends to get forgotten about or skipped over, partly because it's not had the best reputation over the years. Hake was traditionally pretty poorly caught and processed, and this led to an influx of substandard hake fillets that had a pulpy, unpleasant texture. More recently, though, hake processors have improved their processes and now routinely freeze them quickly after harvesting to stop enzymatic reactions from deteriorating its texture.

The result is that hake is now as delicate and flaky as cod and haddock, which it shares as its family members. It has a mildly sweet flavor, and is somewhat more gentle than cod. This gentleness gives it a good versatility, but it generally works best in recipes that call for cooking with dry heat (although it can also be steamed). It's also pretty good when deep-fried, especially if you're looking to keep your portions more modest, thanks to hake's generally smaller size than alternatives like cod. One thing to bear in mind with hake, though, is that it can be a little flimsier than some other types of white fish. This flimsiness reveals itself even more when the hake isn't well-caught or handled, so try to buy it from a trusted supplier.

You've probably tried tilapia by now — it's everywhere. This white fish is one of the most popular and readily-available out there, and while there are a few mistakes people frequently make with it, it's generally pretty hard to get totally wrong. As white fish goes, tilapia is fairly moist, and it has slightly more fat than other alternatives. These fat levels help to keep it tender and make it well-suited to being exposed to dry heat cooking methods like baking, where it's the star of the show and holds its flavor.

Having said this, tilapia is one of those white fish varieties that kinda works well with everything. You can pop it into soups, deep-fry it, stir it through pasta or risotto, or spoon hot salsa over it. Crucially, though, while tilapia does have a higher fat level than other white fish, it's not exactly swimming in the stuff. Therefore, you'll still need to add a good amount of cooking fat and avoid blasting it with too much heat to stop it from tightening up and drying out.

Cooking an entire fish and proudly laying it on the table in front of your delighted friends is one of the biggest flexes you can do. If you're doing it with white fish, though, you'll need to think carefully about which type you choose. While most white fish varieties will be tasty when cooked whole, you want your dish to look good. For maximum visual effect, snapper is the way to go.

Both red snapper and yellowtail snapper have a vibrant, pinkish-red skin, with the latter variety also having (as you might expect from its name) a bright yellow tail. Yellowtail snapper has firm, white meat and a slightly nutty flavor, whereas red snapper's flesh is slightly pinker and a little bit more sweet. The fish's exterior appearance makes it a prime choice for baking, grilling, or barbecuing; grilling or barbecuing it will give it a beautifully charred outside that contrasts excellently with the reddish skin, and also deepens the fish's flavor. Having said this, you don't have to cook snapper whole. Yellowtail snapper fillets can be used as a substitute for white fish in loads of different ways, and they can bring some much-needed character to your fish.

Sole is one of the most distinctive white fish types around. While many white fish are plump and weighty, these flatfish stand out with their skinny height and impressive width. They're not just unique from a dimensional standpoint, either. Sole is a white fish that has a delightfully buttery edge to its flavor, despite not having a high fat content, and it also doesn't have too much of a fishy taste. It does have a light salinity, but it's mostly fairly mild and smooth.

This buttery quality gives it a fuller flavor that means that it stands up well to acidity. All white fish is activated by acidic notes, which gives it more rounding — but sole fares especially well, and pairing it with a lemony sauce studded with capers will set your tastebuds alight. It also works excellently with tart, spicy sauces like salsa verde. You can cook sole exactly as you would other white fish, but we'd say that pan-frying it is the best option. Doing this will help keep the moisture of the sole intact, while also giving it a lovely browned edge.

Steamed white fish sounds unbelievably boring, but when it's done right it's heavenly. The key to steaming white fish is to ensure that the type you pick remains delicate and doesn't firm up, and also has a plump and abundant appearance. For this, sea bass is the way to go. Sea bass is a classic choice for steamed white fish, thanks to its combination of tender flesh and a touch of sweetness in its flavor. This sweetness offsets the sharper aromatics that are tucked in and around the fish to give it a more well-rounded taste, while its flesh takes on hints of the aromas themselves.

When steaming sea bass, it's good not to hold back on your extra ingredients. Chili, garlic, ginger, and spring onion should all be added generously, to give it the most flavor possible. This might sound overwhelming, but steaming these ingredients stops them from adding too much intensity. Instead, you get an intoxicating cocktail of pleasant scents infusing your fish. A drizzle of soy sauce helps to lift everything further. Serve your steamed sea bass whole, and allow everybody to grab their own pieces from the center of the table.

The flavor of different types of white fish is typically described similarly, with words like "delicate," "mild," and "gentle" often being used (even in this article). Catfish flips those flavors on their head. Catfish, particularly the wild-caught type, has a pretty unique flavor profile, with a muddiness to it that can be surprising at first. This muddy note isn't because it has mud inside it, but rather mud is the catfish's natural environment: As such, it takes on its scent and flavor, which transfers to your food.

There are ways to reduce that muddiness, with soaking it in buttermilk being a clever strategy to calm its flavor down somewhat, but a hint of it will still remain. As such, it's useful to cook it using bold flavors that stand up to this distinctive taste. Dunking catfish chunks in a spicy, flavorful gumbo is a great move, with the other ingredients in the stew helping to balance out the fish. Fried catfish, a dish with a complex origin, is also a delicious choice for these whiskered river dwellers.

White fish and butter sauce is a classic combination, but plenty of recipes that pair the two don't specify what fish to use. While most white fish will be augmented by the presence of a rich, velvety butter-based sauce, flounder is our top choice. Flounder has a multilayered flavor profile that often isn't apparent unless you're really focusing on it. Take a moment when you have a mouthful, and you'll notice nutty, sweet, and briny tastes at play, all at the same time.

If you cover flounder in a sauce that completely clashes with these flavors, then your meal will just be a mess. Instead, you need an accompaniment that heightens each of the inherent flavor notes in flounder. That's where butter sauce — specifically meunière sauce – comes in. Meunière sauce is made by browning butter to unleash its nutty flavors, and then hitting it with some lemon juice to brighten everything up. The browned butter develops a slight hint of sweetness as it darkens in color, with the lemon juice adding a tartness that plays into the flounder's salinity. Altogether, the combination is deeply rich and deeply moreish.

Have you ever tried to make homemade fish sticks? If you haven't, folks, then it's time. Homemade fish sticks are not just fun, but they're incredibly easy, and we can guarantee that you'll enjoy them more than the boxed version. However, you need to make sure you're using the right fish. There are a few good options here, with cod, haddock, hake, and tilapia all good options. In our opinion, though, when a fish stick recipe calls for white fish, it's asking you to use pollock.

Pollock's taste is exceptionally mild, which is exactly what you want from a fish stick. That might sound boring, but bear with us here. The joy of fish sticks is that they're gently-flavored enough to act as a kind of undertone to the crunchy, salty breading and the sharp, tart sauces without being too obtrusive, and pollock fits the bill here nicely. There's definitely a very subtle note of fishiness to pollock, but your kids will love you for opting for this variety instead of the stronger-tasting fish out there. As a bonus, pollock also holds its own on a textural level, so you don't lose that important oblong shape.

Perch may not be your go-to white fish, but if you're looking for a type that can do it all then you're in luck. This freshwater fish has a pleasing versatility and a nice firmness that makes it suitable for lots of different applications. The best thing about perch is its lack of overt fishiness, which makes it appealing to fussy eaters, and it's an awesome starter white fish for anybody just dipping their toes in the water with this food.

As for how to use perch, the world really is your oyster. Sautéeing some fillets in a pan with a buttery sauce is a quick and easy way to unlock an excellent dinner, or baking it with some vegetables tucked around it will give it more of a Mediterranean feel. Alternatively, you can fry perch just as you would with cod or haddock, by coating it in batter and tossing it in some hot oil.