Off with its head!

Herbie

Herbie

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Staffordshire, England
I got a bargain at the supermarket. We used to have salmon a lot but the price has rusen in the past few years so I only buy it when on offer. It was half price the other day and I got two sides of salmon for £15 and cut it into 16 portions (in the freezer'. I told my mum who said she could not bring herself to gut and behead a fish even though she is happy to have a head-on cooked fish served her.

So my questions are:
Can you prepare a raw fish? (Gut, behead, de-bone fillet.)
Do you like head-on cooked fish on your plate?
Can you cope with bones in your cooked fish?
Do you check with people before you serve them head-on or boney fish? I always do as I know it makes some people uncomfortable.
 
Herbie said:
Can you prepare a raw fish? (Gut, behead, de-bone fillet.)
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Pretty much so - although I probably haven't filleted enough fish to be expert.
Herbie said:
Do you like head-on cooked fish on your plate?
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Don't really mind.
Herbie said:
Can you cope with bones in your cooked fish?
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I'm fine with it but need to wear my glasses if eating such!
Do you check with people before you serve them head-on or boney fish? I always do as I know it makes some people uncomfortable.
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Hmm...I can't remember the last time I cooked for anyone I didn't know well enough to know what they liked. I suppose I would ask though.
 
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So my questions are:

Can you prepare a raw fish? (Gut, behead, de-bone fillet.)
Gut: yes - I keep a small buck knife in each of my tackle boxes for this purpose.
Behead: yes, however larger fish need a bigger knife, or even a cleaver
Filet:-yes - but some fish are easier to filet than others.


Do you like head-on cooked fish on your plate?
It's OK so long as that was the chef's intention.



Can you cope with bones in your cooked fish?
I have made a lot of dishes utilizing whole fish, often because they are too difficult to filet due to many small bones. I have no problem picking the meat from between the bones with a fork.


Do you check with people before you serve them head-on or boney fish?
No, they get burgers or hot dogs.
 
Depends on the fish..always head -off.
Not too difficult to gut/scale fish (doing that since a small child)
Luv fresh trout, pan fried, w/lemon.. not filleted
Salmon or larger fish, I prefer filleted.....fast smoke &/or BBQ on charred cedar plank is my fave :D
Brine & long hard smoke for bony fish...easier to pick the fine bones out..great w/beer
 
I always fillet and remove the skin from any fish I shoot. I only target hogfish, mutton snapper and black grouper with nothing over 20 pounds. I used to shoot red grouper, but decided to stop because, 1) they are too stupid and provide no challenge and 2) too many worms. I'll sometimes save the head and carcass for stock. I've never cooked a whole fish. The only way I'll eat salmon is smoked or gravlax.
 
Not to blow my own horn, but I'm going to anyway, as the Black Star Ninja said in the movie "American Ninja", "He posses great skill".:whistling::D In my case that would be cleaning fish.:thankyou:I forgot to mention in my last post that grouper cheeks are considered a top prize, which don't often appear in seafood markets as they are sought after by seafood restaurant chefs.
 
I've wanted to try roast grouper collar, or a whole tuna head. I've heard they're fantastic.

White Buffalo fish ribs, too.
 
buckytom said:
White Buffalo fish ribs, too.
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I've just looked these up and they look amazing.

I am impressed with those who catch their own fish. I tried it once but caught nothing. I should try again.

When I was little I used to catch shrimp in Norfolk on holiday with my sister and the two children of the people we stayed with. We spent hours peeling the tiny things to make our own supper of shrimp, salad and bread.
 
Herbie said:
I used to catch shrimp in Norfolk on holiday with my sister and the two children of the people we stayed with. We spent hours peeling the tiny things to make our own supper of shrimp, salad and bread.
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Those little brown shrimps are a delicacy indeed. Potted shrimps are a wonderful thing - its the mace in the recipe which is so unexpected.
 
My husband can prepare a fish but as it is messy we ask the fishmonger. Yes I luke the head and tail on if I order fish in a restaurant, no bones do not bother me at all. We have never served fish to anyone.
 
I rely on the Whole Foods fish person to do all prep.

My idea of prep is...season the filet with appropriate spices/flavors and put in oven to roast.

Have had head & tail on fish in restaurants...don't mind....

Prefer fish eyes are closed so he/she doesn't see what's "ahead"....:happy::happy::):)
 
Dados1950 said:
I rely on the Whole Foods fish person to do all prep.

My idea of prep is...season the filet with appropriate spices/flavors and put in oven to roast.

Have had head & tail on fish in restaurants...don't mind....

Prefer fish eyes are closed so he/she doesn't see what's "ahead"....:happy::happy::):)
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Lol, umm, almost all fish have no eyelids, so I'm not sure whst kind of fish you've eaten!

:eek:
 
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