Frozen Large Sillago Fish

A slender, silver-skinned inshore fish of the whiting family, landed on clean coastal ground and frozen solid within hours of coming aboard. It reaches you whole and cleaned, head and tail on, with the fine scales already removed.

The Catch

Wild stock taken from shallow coastal water over sand and weed, the ground that gives this fish its clean, sweet character. The catch is graded by hand and only firm, unbruised bodies go into the pack; anything soft or torn is set aside.

Specification

• Net weight — 2 kg per pack
• Count — roughly 12 to 16 fish per pack, depending on the day's landing
• Size — large grade, 110 to 150 g per fish
• Form — whole, cleaned, head and tail intact
• Bone — one central line, fine ribs that lift away after cooking

State

Frozen once, straight after landing, and never thawed in transit. The body stays rigid and the skin keeps its mirror finish, which is the clearest sign it has not been through a second freeze.

Storage and Thawing

Hold at -18 degrees Celsius or colder. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator on a rack so any water runs clear of the flesh, then cook within a day. Do not refreeze once thawed.

On the Plate

• Pat dry, dust with cornflour and deep-fry until the skin blisters and the tail curls.
• Shallow-fry with salt and white pepper for a fast dinner.
• Braise with ginger, garlic and light soy until the sauce clings.
• Simmer into a clear broth with a slice of ginger and a spring onion.

Shipping and Cold Chain

Packed in an insulated liner with dry ice and dispatched on a next-day service. Inspect on arrival: the pack should be hard frozen with no soft patches and no liquid in the bag. Report any thaw within 24 hours.

Allergen: contains fish. Packed in a facility that also handles crustaceans and molluscs.