White fish substitutes

If a recipe just says white fish with no other guidance, this is what the writer had in mind.

Best for

fish and chips, baked fish, fish pie, chowder, fish tacos, curries

All three give big moist flakes and a clean mild flavour that takes on whatever you cook it with. Haddock is slightly sweeter and finer than cod; hake is softer and a little more delicate, so it wants gentler handling. Standard 1-inch fillets take 10-12 minutes at 400F (200C) or 3-4 minutes a side in a pan. Salting the fillets 20 minutes ahead firms them noticeably and helps them stay in one piece.

The genuinely firm fish - these survive a hot grill, a bubbling stew and being turned with tongs.

Best for

grilling, skewers, fish stews and cioppino, curries, tacos, searing

This is what firm white fish actually means: flesh dense enough that it does not disintegrate when stirred. Monkfish is the extreme case, almost lobster-like and slightly sweet. Halibut is lean and punishes overcooking, so pull it while the centre is barely translucent. Grouper and snapper are more flavourful than cod and will make themselves heard through a mild sauce.

The two fish almost every supermarket has, frozen, all year - mild, soft and forgiving in a coating.

Best for

breaded or battered fish, baked fish, fish tacos, curries, stir-fries

Both are blander than cod and can carry a faint earthy note, which lemon, lime or a spiced sauce covers. Both hold a lot of water: thaw fully in the fridge, press dry with paper towels, and salt for 15 minutes before cooking or the fish steams rather than browns. Tilapia is the firmer of the two and the better choice for baking; basa is softer and best inside batter or a sauce.

Thin flatfish fillets for anything that gets floured, fried fast and finished with butter and lemon.

Best for

pan-frying, meuniere, rolled or stuffed fillets, goujons, quick suppers

These cook in 3-4 minutes total and cannot be stirred into anything - they break apart on contact. Use them where the fish is served whole on the plate, never in a stew or a curry. Flavour is mild and slightly sweet, texture is soft sheets rather than flakes. Flour them lightly and turn them once, with a wide spatula.

The fish inside most fish fingers and fast-food fillets - honest, cheap and good in a coating.

Best for

battered fish, fish fingers, fish cakes, fish sandwiches, chowder

Pollock is softer and slightly wetter than cod and its flakes are smaller, so it is less impressive served plain and virtually indistinguishable inside batter or breadcrumbs. It is also the base of most surimi and fish cakes. Thaw properly and dry it well; frozen-solid fillets dropped into hot oil release water and ruin the coating.

Not a swap for a fillet on a plate, but genuinely fine where the fish gets flaked and mixed with other things.

Best for

fish cakes, fish pie filling, pasta bakes, croquettes, chowder

Canned fish is already cooked, so add it at the very end and only warm it through - simmering it turns it dry and stringy. The flavour is much stronger and saltier than fresh white fish, so cut back on added salt and taste before seasoning. It will never pass in a recipe where the fish is meant to arrive as a piece.

The honest answer for cooking without fish - these mimic the flake and the neutrality, not the flavour.

Best for

battered fish, fish tacos, fish-style cakes, curries

Banana blossom is the best of the three for battered fish because it separates into flake-like layers; hearts of palm shred convincingly for tacos; pressed extra-firm tofu is the most available and the most neutral. None of them taste of the sea, so add the marine note back with a sheet of nori pressed against the surface, a little kelp granule or a splash of caper brine. Say what it is on the plate rather than pretending.