Fish Heads

[shel]

Fish stock looms on the horizon. Never made it with fish heads. When using heads, do you use they eyes and lips, or is the head trimmed in any way?

Shel

[panini]

Shel,
You use the whole head if it they are male fish. The female heads are more work getting all the make-up and hair spray off.

use everything you get.

[Entropy]

SHould the gills be removed?

[panini]

Hey,
Thats a good question. Hope one of the Chefs will pop on and tell us. I use the whole head, but I do tear out the gills.

[SGMChef]

Well, I remove the gills because they are filled with a higher concentration of the leftover fish blood, since the gills are sort of like our lungs. I do it to make a clearer stock, but just out of habit. If minute difference in clarity weren’t an issue, I would use them. Another thought, I would cook some gills and taste them to determine if they would impart an unwanted flavor. I wouldn't trim them at all. If you are going to clarify anyway, the only thing that matters is flavor.

[even stephen]

Yes, gills do sour a stock!

[goliano]

Thanks, alot! Now I can't get "Fish heads, fish heads, roly poly fish heads" out of my head.

[Mezzaluna]

"Fish heads, fish heads, Eat them up YUM!"

I thought I was the only one who had the silly song stuck in my head!!!

[goliano]

Might as well post the whole thing:

Fish heads, fish heads, rolly polly fish heads
Fish heads, fish heads, eat them up
Yumm!

Fish heads, fish heads, rolly polly fish heads
Fish heads, fish heads, eat them up
Yumm!

In the morning, laughing happy fish heads
In the evening, floating in the soup

Fish heads, fish heads, rolly polly fish heads
Fish heads, fish heads, eat them up
Yumm!

Ask a fish head anything you want to
They won't answer, they cant talk

Fish heads, fish heads, rolly polly fish heads
Fish heads, fish heads, eat them up
Yumm!

I took a fish head out to see a movie,
Didn't have to pay to get it in

Fish heads, fish heads, rolly polly fish heads
Fish heads, fish heads, eat them up
Yumm!

They can't play baseball, they don't wear sweaters
They're not good dancers, they don't play drums

Fish heads, fish heads, rolly polly fish heads
Fish heads, fish heads, eat them up
Yumm!

Rolly Polly fish heads are never seen drinking cappuccino in
Italian restaurants with Oriental women.
Yeeaahh

Fish heads, fish heads, rolly polly fish heads
Fish heads, fish heads, eat them up
Yumm!

Fish heads, fish heads, rolly polly fish heads
Fish heads, fish heads, eat them up
Yumm!

Yum!

Fish heads, fish heads, rolly polly fish heads
Fish heads, fish heads, eat them up
Yumm!

Fish heads, fish heads, rolly polly fish heads
Fish heads, fish heads, eat them up
Yummmm!

Yeeaahh

[foodpump]

Golden rule for fish stock is: No scales. Scales will turn the stock grey. Fortunatly, most heads don't have scales.

[Nentony]

Remove the gills. And incidently, that's worthy of adding to the "tasks I hate" thread.

Tony