Dear Cod, Where Art Thou?

I believe I can tell a good piece of cod when I see it. I ought to, I've bought and consumed it often enough from fishmongers.

In my book, a worthy portion of cod must be quite thick, say one inch (or 2.5cm if you're more familiar with euro-babble); if cooked properly it should be moist and flaky; it ought to be pure white; and it should not smell too fishy when raw.

Having ordered cod from two Fish & Chip shops recently (I ordered cod & chips last night from the Silver Leaf Cafe, Belmont Road; and previously John Dory's, Holywood Road) the fish served to me has not exactly fitted the above description: it has been thin, off-white and with tiny flakes. Perhaps it's a sign of the times, what with stocks of cod not being what they were. It could be seasonal even. So I'll continue to seek a fish and chip shop in my vicinity for really good cod. I'd gladly try pollock but it's never on the menus ( I wonder why?).

Good chefs will tell you that only way to be sure of good cod is to buy it raw from a decent fishmonger, which I have done from time to time. It's such a bore having to de-bone it with pliers, clean it, make a batter, heat the deep fryer and clean up all the oil which spits liberally all over the place that I am usually not bothered going down the DIY route.

At any rate, my quest continues and I'll try the Belmont Bethany the next time.