How to Use an Entire Fish in Cooking
- 1). Leave the tale, head and fins on cleaned fish to create a dramatic presentation of fried or baked whole fish.
- 2). Remove the head leaving spine attached if filleting fish. Cover the fish head and skeleton with water and add salt and pepper. Simmer 30 minutes to make a fish stock to be used in chowder, sauces or soups.
- 3). Strain the boiled stock through two layers of cheesecloth and freeze in containers labeled with contents and dates.
- 4). Scrape the flesh from boiled bones to be used as flaked fish in chowders, soups, quiches, dips, salads, cakes, loaves, patties, fritters and sandwich spreads.
- 5). Scoop the flavorful cheek flesh from beneath the eyes of large fish and fry in butter.
- 6). Smoke, bake, fry and grill fish heads and backbones, picking the succulent meat from the bones for eating.
- 7). Make inexpensive caviar by slitting eggs sacks, removing membranes, soaking the eggs in brine and garnishing with lime and onion.