Whiting
When we think of a whiting we generally see in vision a little fish golden-brown from the frying-pan, with his tail in his mouth-the symbol of eternity. The symbol is justified in this: that he is everlasting at the dinner-table; and if he does not appear at dinner, it is probably because he did duty at breakfast. In truth, the whiting deserves this favour, being an exceedingly delicate little fish the delight of invalids, who can enjoy him when they can digest little else. If the whiting is bad, be it poor or coarse, take for granted in most cases that it is no true whiting. There are myriads of codlings and pollacks sold for the true silver whiting. Codlings have a barbel ; whitings have none. Pollacks have the under jaw projecting beyond the upper one; whitings project the upper jaw beyond the lower one. Putting out of account the month of January, when the whiting spawns, it may be assumed, eleven months of the year, that a bad whiting is a codling or a pollack.
However good a whiting may be, it is absurd to boil him: half the taste is boiled out of him. In any stew, too, he is overpowered by the taste of the sauce. If we really mean to taste the whiting, he must be either fried or broiled. The French fry him with his skin on, his sides gashed and dusted with flour; but there is no better way than that common in England, where the little animal is skinned, Widgeon takes his tail in his mouth to symbolize eternity, and then, after a dainty roll in egg, fine breadcrumb and flour, disports himself in the frying-pan. For broiling him there are two good ways of arranging his toilet. Leave him in his skin, split him down the back, and after dusting him well with flour, put him on the grill. The worst of this method is that he is apt to fall in pieces, and especially if any attempt is made to get rid of his backbone. Much the best way of grilling him is in the Scotch fashion of rizzared haddock. (See Haddock.) A rizzared whiting is so good, that those who have been initiated into its mystery have been known to be content with nothing else for breakfast all the rest of their lives thereafter. Fillets of Whiting au gratin. - A delicate little dish, done in the same way as the sole, or rather the fillets of sole au gratin.
A Whiting Pudding is served at Greenwich dinners; but beware of it-touch it not: it is only a sponge intended to wipe from the palate the impressions produced by one dish of fish in order to prepare for another.
A Quenelle of Whiting is a different thing, and is often used with great effect in the embellishment of other fish. (See Quenelle.)