Cod

Cod Flavor Scale

Flavor
Oil
Texture

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Cod have been an important economic food since the Viking period (around 800 AD).  Chefs-Resources' Cod page shows when fresh Cod is available, what it’s flavor profile and taste is like, the butchering yield % so you can determine your yield percentage for plate costing purposes.  You’ll also find a Cod nutrition table, the Flavor Scale, and links for further Cod research.

Cod Flavor Profile

Cod have a lean, mild flavor profile with large flakes and a tender-firm texture. Pacific Cod tend to have thicker fillets with a higher moisture content and are therefore less firm and a little harder to bread/batter. Their flesh is an opaque white color when raw and remains white after cooking. Atlantic Cod are a little sweeter than Pacific Cod, with translucent white to pink-tinged flesh when raw which turns white when cooked. Both are less firm and less sweet tasting compared to Haddock.

Typical Cooking Methods

Alternate Names

 Atlantic Cod, Pacific Cod, Alaskan Cod, True Cod, Gray Cod, Scrod (Cod which is under 2 1/2 Lbs)

Typical Wholesale Products

H&G, Dressed, Skin/On and Skin/Off Fillets, Steaks, Loins, Cheeks

Description (Gadus morhua, Gadus macrocephalus) Atlantic Cod tend to change color depending upon their habitat so they can be found in a variety of colorations, usually with many small spots and a light colored lateral line down the length of their sides. Under their lower jaw cod (both Atlantic and Pacific) have a characteristic barbel or catfish-like whisker. They grow to an average market size of about 3-10 Lbs with a maximum size of 77 pounds. Pacific Cod are brown or grayish colored with dark spots or patterns on their sides. They do not grow as large as Atlantic Cod do, but still have an average market size of 5-10 Lbs. Although some menus will specify "Atlantic" or "Pacific" Cod, the fish is generally marketed simply as "Cod" without designating specifically which species.

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Fresh Cod Availability

Fresh cod availability chart: green areas show peak availability, light green show limited availability, gray indicates not available fresh.  Frozen available all year long.

 

Pacific Cod Butchering Yield % and Recovery

Item	To Skin/On Fillets	To Skin/Off Fillets	To Skin/Off J-cut Fillets
Whole Head/On gutted	55%	48%
Whole Head/Off gutted	71%	62%	56%
Skin/On Fillets	--	87%	If you have yield info on this fish please comment below.
For detailed butchering yield % and recovery see Cod Yield Percentage
Yield % varies according to a number of factors including: size of fish, season, sex, and the skill of your fishmonger.

 

Atlantic Cod Butchering Yield % and Recovery

Item	To Skin/On Fillets	To Skin/Off Fillets	To Skin/Off J-cut Fillets
Whole Head/On gutted		41%	38%
Yield % varies according to a number of factors including: size of fish, season, sex, and the skill of your fishmonger.

 

 

Cod Sustainability Info

This window is a link to the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program info on Cod.

 

Cod Nutritional Information based upon a 6 oz (171 grams) raw edible serving * Calories/Calories from fat 141 * Protein grams  30.5 * Fat grams  1.2 * Saturated fat grams  .2 * Sodium milligrams  93 * Cholesterol milligrams  74 * Omega-3 grams  .3 more cod nutrition

 

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