Cod is one of the  British nation's favourite fish.

The mild-flavoured, succulent, white, flaky fish is most commonly associated in Britain with the classic dish of fish and chips, which is one of the most popular cod fillet recipes, but cod can be enjoyed in a variety of different ways.

Here are our best cod recipes, from the traditionally battered to  pan-fried, poached and steamed cod.

How to cook cod

The cod fillet is delicate but is delicious cooked in a number of ways. One of the most popular cod fillet recipes is the traditional battered cod with chips.

The loin of the cod is the middle third of the fillet, usually the fattest part and widely considered to be the prime cut of the fish as it is the most succulent and flaky.

For a flaky white fish, the dense flesh is reasonably secure, cod loin recipes often suggest pan-frying, confit cooking, poaching, and steaming. If you are so brash as to grill cod, this should be done cautiously, placing the fish skin down as it is prone to falling apart.

How to cook cod in the oven

If you're cooking cod in the oven, wrap it in baking parchment with aromats, seasoning, a light drizzling of oil and citrus.

What goes with cod

To accompany the delicate flavour of the fish, herbs such as dill, parsley and tarragon work well with cod, as does a squeeze of lemon to bring out the flavours.

Probably the best-known caught in UK waters, Britons consume about one third of all cod eaten worlwide, with around 85% of cod caught in Europe being destined for British plates.

Where is cod found and how is it fished?

As one of the most popular fish in Europe and North America, cod is commercially important.

While there is no fixed season for catching cod, the fish is at its best during its spawning season which is four months long, January to April.

The fish can be found in coastal waters in depths of 500 to 600 metres as well as populating the open ocean. As they live in deeper waters, they are often caught by trawling. Trawls, sometimes known as dredges, are nets which can range from being reasonably small for recreational fishing, to huge football pitch sizes for commercial fishing.

These nets can be towed at various depths, either being dragged along the ocean floor, or halfway down from the surface of the water. A concern of this type of fishing is that bottom dredging has been found to cause damage to the ocean floor. Cod in the Pacific Ocean is more abundant than elsewhere. 

Fishing techniques tested to catch them include traps and hooks and lines, which are less damaging than trawling.

What should raw cod look like before buying? 

When buying a whole cod, the fish should have a shiny clear skin and clear eyes, the fins should be intact and the gills should be bright red. It is often sold frozen but is also widely available fresh, its flesh should be a good pearly white colour, firm to touch and shouldn’t have a strong fishy smell.

Cod can be served raw or partially cooked, baked, fried, poached, battered, filleted, or put in a pie.

Jamaica’s national dish of ackee and salt fish, commonly used cod, as does the Scandinavian lutefisk.

Cod Recipes