Ling Fish Cutlets

Wild-caught New Zealand ling, cut across the body into thick bone-in cutlets and kept chilled the whole way through rather than frozen. Each cutlet is a full round of the fish with the centre bone still in it.

Cutting across the fish instead of filleting it is what makes this piece behave the way it does in a pot. The bone holds the flesh together, so the meat does not shred when you turn it, and the collagen around the bone dissolves slowly into whatever it is cooked in — which is why a braise or a soup built on ling cutlets thickens and tastes fuller than the same dish made with boneless fillet. The flesh itself is thick and white, and it sets into large firm flakes rather than collapsing. Ling also has a simple bone structure: one clear central bone through the middle and very little fine bone around it, so eating around it is straightforward.

Why Choose It?

• Chilled, never frozen: no thawing, no drip loss, and the texture has not been through ice crystals.
• Cut on the bone: the bone keeps the piece intact through stirring, turning and simmering.
• Thick white flakes: firm enough to hold its shape on the plate, not soft or woolly.
• One central bone: a clean bone structure with few fine bones scattered through the flesh.
• Builds its own stock: the bone and collagen enrich a braise or a broth as it cooks.

Cooking Methods:

• Steamed: ginger and spring onion under the cutlet, steamed hard until the flesh lifts from the bone, then hot oil and soy over the top.
• Braised: browned first, then simmered in soy, garlic and a little sugar until the sauce coats the piece.
• Pan-fried in butter: dried well, seasoned, cooked in foaming butter until the outside colours and the centre is just set.
• In soup or hotpot: dropped into simmering stock near the end — the bone releases into the broth while the flesh stays whole.
• Curried: added to a coconut or tomato base and simmered gently, turning once.

The One Rule:
Do not keep poking it. The single most common way to wreck a cutlet is turning and prodding it while it cooks, which breaks the flakes away from the bone and leaves you with a pot of fragments. Put it in, leave it alone, and move it once.

Storage:
Keep at 0–4°C in the coldest part of the fridge and cook within a day or two of pickup. To keep it longer, wrap tightly and freeze at -18°C or below, then thaw overnight in the fridge rather than on the bench or in water.

Allergen:
Contains fish.

A solid, honest cut for the dishes that need fish to stay in one piece. Order now.