The folowing article appeared in The Herald Weekend Living 25.09.04

The first farmed cod – hailed as the answer to dwindling stocks – has gone on sale. We ask a team of chefs to put the fish to the test.

By Vicky Collins and Wendy Barrie

Our fish suppers are under threat. Stocks of cod, once a cheap and plentiful fish, are in decline. In an effort to tackle the problem, Europe has placed severe restrictions on the numbers that Scottish fishermen can catch, reducing supply and forcing up prices. The situation looks unlikely to improve in the near future.

But a few enterprising businesses believe they might have the answer: farmed cod. The first regular supplies of the new product – farmed by Johnson Seafarms in Shetland - went on sale across Britain for the first time this month.

Trial batches have been around for longer and several other companies, the largest among them Wester Ross Salmon in Ullapool, Ross-shire, are now considering expanding that small-scale level of production. If successful, it’s claimed it could provide the solution to the dwindling wild cod stocks – but still keep one of our favourite fish on the menu at home and in restaurants. The Crown Estates Office, which acts as landlord for the seabed where the cod hatcheries and pens are kept is cautiously optimistic. “There is a vast demand for cod in the UK, and farming has the potential to help create sustainable fish stocks” says its spokesman.

Farming fish of whatever breed is not risk-free, however. The profitability of salmon farms has become increasingly precarious in recent years following a series of health scares, most notably the one caused by a report in the journal Science that claimed that farmed salmon was so full of chemicals it should only be eaten three times a year. Even before that report was published the industry was struggling.

Large foreign firms, the majority Norwegian, had become so adept at producing large amounts of farmed salmon cheaply that the price of what was once considered the champagne of the seafood world plummeted. Scottish salmon farms found it increasingly difficult to compete. There is no guarantee that cod farms will not repeat the mistakes made by the farmed salmon industry and nothing to prevent foreign firms flooding the market with cheap imports.

However, many of the firms trialing the fish are anxious to follow the example of Johnson Seafarms and aim for the high-quality end of the market with fish that meets the strict organic and animal welfare standards currently being drawn up for this emerging industry.

The final factor is of course the taste. Will farmed cod ever match the texture and flavour of the fish caught in the wild? Is it possible, as Johnson Seafarms claims, that it could taste even better?

With this in mind, Weekend Living asked Wendy Barrie to cook both wild and farmed cod in three different ways and to put each dish to a blind taste test with a team of chefs: Paul Brown of the Town House, Dunfermline, chairman of the Fife Restaurateurs Association; Alistair and Dorothy Clark of the Old Manor Country House Hotel, Lundin Links; Iggy Campos of Iggs, Edinburgh; and Tony Singh of Oloroso, Edinburgh.

To challenge the chefs Wendy opted for three variations:

Skewers of each fish prepared with vegetables to test texture and taste, since the cubes of fish would mask the different fillet formation
Lightly baked fillets with tarragon and lime to show off the undisguised shape of the cuts
Baked fillets with a lemon béchamel sauce, typifying a simple menu dish.

THE VERDICT

While both the farmed and wild cod were liked throughout, opinions varied in each test as to which was which. It was interesting to see how confidence faltered and perceptions were challenged as the experts continued the trials. The team was undecided over the provenance of the skewered cod and, although differing flavours were noted, both were deemed succulent. Likewise with the tarragon variation, judgement was again divided. The baked cod with lemon bechamel was the most successful in both the farmed and wild versions.

Only on chef consistently “named that cod” correctly and even he was uncertain at times such was the high quality of the farmed version.

APPEARANCE

The pieces of fish looked noticeably different. The wild cod, a thicker fillet with more vibrant skin markings, had large flakes and very white flesh. The farmed cod was slimmer with well-formed flakes. It sliced cleanly and was creamier in hue.

Paul thought that farmed cod may have advantages in the restaurant environment, where customers sitting together often like their plates of food to look the same. “Sometimes wild portions can very in shape even though they are the same weight” he says. “Farmed fish could simplify portion control, giving the customer the uniformity they look for”.

TEXTURE

Where the two fish differed most was in the texture. The wild cod was less firm when cooked and more delicate, whereas the farmed proved easier to handle and was pleasantly firm in texture.

“I prefer the taste of the wild cod but it’s harder for chefs to cook with because it is not as firm,” Iggy says. “So from a chef’s point of view, farmed would be easier.”

TASTE

All the chefs agreed that both varieties had excellent flavour and, wider considerations apart, the farmed variety was impressive indeed.

“I am very surprised to find that the farmed cod tastes as good as it does” says Alistair. “I actually thought it superior to the wild. I would give it our vote and would be happy to use it in the restaurant.”

Tony agrees: “I was surprised at the quality of the farmed fish,” he says. “And if it helps wild stocks I’m all for using it”.