Whiting substitutes

Effectively the same fish. Silver hake is literally what American shops mean by whiting, and European hake is its bigger relative with the same soft moist flesh, large tender flakes and clean mild sweetness. The only adjustment is thickness, since a European hake fillet is much heftier than a small whiting and needs a few extra minutes. Both share whiting's tendency to fall apart, so handle them once.

Best for

fried fish, breaded fillets, baked fish, fish cakes, braised fish in sauce, fish soup

Merluza on a Spanish label is hake. It is the standard fish for hake in green sauce and works for any whiting recipe.

The most useful practical swap, and the one most fish-and-chip shops would reach for. Haddock has whiting's soft tender flake and gentle sweetness but is sturdier and thicker, so a battered fillet holds together better in the fryer and a baked one portions more neatly. Flavor-wise it is a shade more marine and slightly more distinctive, which is generally an improvement.

Best for

fried fish, fish and chips, breaded fillets, fish pie, chowder, fish cakes

Because haddock fillets are thicker, add two to three minutes to a fry timed for thin whiting. Buy plain, not smoked.

Cheap, mild and very close in flavor, with a slightly firmer and slightly coarser flake than whiting. Fried in cornmeal or batter it is barely distinguishable, and in a chowder it actually holds its shape better, where whiting shreds into the broth. Atlantic pollock, sold as coley or saithe, has greyer raw flesh with a marginally stronger flavor that whitens and mellows as it cooks.

Best for

fried fish, fish and chips, chowder, baked fish, fish cakes, fish sandwiches

Pollock fillets vary a lot in thickness; portion them evenly so they cook at the same rate.

The quality upgrade, and the safest fish if your whiting recipe keeps collapsing on you. Cod is firmer with thick white flakes that stay intact through frying, baking and even a short braise, and its flavor is cleaner and sweeter than whiting's. What you lose is whiting's particular tenderness, so a fried cod fillet eats meatier and more substantial and less melting. Cod loin is far thicker, so extend the cooking time noticeably.

Best for

fish and chips, baked fish, chowder, fish cakes, braised fish

Cut cod loin into whiting-sized strips if you want it to fry in the same time as the recipe specifies.

A close match for whiting's thinness and delicacy and a step up in sweetness. These flatfish fry in three or four minutes and taste noticeably finer than whiting, which makes them excellent for a quick pan-fry with butter and lemon. They are just as fragile, so they will not survive a stew, and their flesh is finer and less gelatinous, which makes them a poor choice for fish cakes or anything that must bind.

Best for

pan-frying, breaded fillets, meuniere, rolled and baked fillets

Turn them once only, with a thin fish spatula, and stop cooking the moment they turn opaque.

The budget choice and the most widely stocked. Basa and swai are soft and mild like whiting but wetter and even more likely to break up, so dry them hard and cook them hot. Tilapia is the opposite problem: it is firmer and denser, which means it holds together better in a curry or on a griddle but tastes noticeably less tender and carries a faint earthy note where whiting is clean and sweet.

Best for

breaded fish, fried fish, fish tacos, curries, baked fish

None of the three is a good substitute in fish cakes, quenelles or a fish mousse, because they do not bind the way whiting does.