[Bill Monroe]

All right, all you strange gourmets...

I've got a handful of salmon cheeks, a couple from a ling cod and a story to write about how to prepare them.

As a kid, we always fought over digging them out of fried trout when mom cooked our catch.

But I sorta recall there was a thread here sometime back about salmon and other fish cheeks.
Depoe Dan? I know you all are out there...

Some ideas, please, before I call Jakes...?

Thanks

 

[drhall99]

Bill,

Try dipping them in a light seasoned batter and fry them... My personal favorite.

D.

[ 04-18-2003, 10:02 PM: Message edited by: drhall99 ]

 

[Born to be Wild]

Yea Bill, I'm here. Not sure where!

Ah, Lingcod cheeks. Halibut cheeks! Great stuff. As far as I am concerned that's the best part of a Ling or Halibut. A lot of other folks feel the same way but not all. Too me it's the texture difference, not the flavor. They all taste like Lawry’s Garlic Salt anyway. :wink: Cheeks kind of have a stringy more firm texture.

I don't feel Salmon cheeks are as good as the ling or halibut and they are much smaller proportionately. A 24" just legal ling has larger cheeks than a 30lb. chinook.

My favorite way to cook cheeks is to season them with your favorite seasoning salt then place them in a bowl of bread crumbs. Shake them around a bit to get them coated and place them on a dry plate (I usually use paper plates). Put an adequate amount of cooking oil in a pan and get the oil real hot and then add the cheeks. The trick is to get the oil hot before you add the cheeks. I use an electric stove and usually cook them at 4 or 4&1/2. Brown on one side (approx. 2 minutes or until golden brown) and then turn and brown the other side. You're in for a treat!

Lingcod cheeks are so different that I often times cook them up with eggs over easy and home fries for breakfast. Enjoy them as much that way as I do sausage.

Over the years when I have taken them up to Brad's, both his and my young daughters have referred to them as nuggets. Have not yet to find anybody that didn't like them.

When it comes to bread crumbs, I use Progresso Plain bread crumbs. I do not use the Italian, low fat, Ranch, BBQ, Organic or whatever they have to offer these days.

I do my razor clams the same way these days except I do not use any seasoning and fry them in butter. (Low fat, low cholesterol). :grin: Have not had a complaint on my razors anywhere either.

Dan

Day 5

 

[k9jeff]

smoke em,,,Jebs seafood in tigard use to sell em back in the 80's. They had a great texture and are great smoked.

K9

Ps.. Bill, I still have that camper.. the price is getting better... :grin:

[ 04-19-2003, 01:47 AM: Message edited by: k9jeff ]

 

[Firedog]

My favorite way to do Salmon cheeks is Add a garlic and salt and pepper, and fry in a little butter and have for breakfast with eggs. :dance:

 

[Grant Scheele]

Bill, one hint on Salmon cheeks. Do not save all that you catch and have a huge cheek fry at the end of the season.

In the past, when I had a few cheeks to eat, I fried them up with garlic and butter and always wished that I had a lot more. Several years ago, I saved all of the biggest, best cheeks out of the fish that we caught. At the end of the season I made a huge meal out of them. I haven't had the urge to eat them since. The best way to describe them is "to rich". I feel the same way about blackberry brandy but that is another story.
Grant

ps does anybody else wish they had paid more attention in English when they write a response to Bill Monroe?

:grin:

 

[chinarider]

Bill, one way to do them is using your favorite "Scallop" recipe, since many fish cheeks are about that size.

As others have mentioned, it's tough to do just a few at a time.

A great way to use them is to BBQ them on skewers - Use 2 skewers in parallel so they do not slide around.

Teriaki sause is good or if you really want to savor the flavor, just use some salt, pepper, and a tiny bit of olive oil - Lets the fish shine through!

Tom

 

[Sore Back]

Our favorite is brined up and smoked. With a honey and brown sugar glaze about one hour before finished, they are better than candy.

 

[bob'r down]

As everyone knows they are best fresh and since it usually has been a long day of fishing and then cleaning fish....the quick and easy as DepoeBayDan mentioned is the ever favorite Lawry's Garlic Salt and butter. Don't hesitate to throw a little of that belly meat that didn't quite fillet out right in there also!! :grin:

If ya get a bunch and have the time, cook them the same way you like clams UMMM UMMM :tongue: I prefer to use peanut oil with clams cuz it gets hotter without smoking and you can cook them quicker. DIG IN !!!! :cheers:

 

[PhoebusGroup]

Hi Bill,

You might want to talk with Karla, of Karla's
Smoke House in Rockaway. She calls them jowls
rather than cheeks, and p. 72 of her new book
speaks directly to their value.

That book, "I Am Karla's Smokehouse," contains
her views on how fish ought to be smoked and
also provides an affectionate memoir to fishing
livelihoods on the Oregon Coast.

Karla Steinhauser is her full name. I am sure
that other ifish members have sampled her
wonderful smoked jowls.

Kind regards,

PhoebusGroup
aka David King

 

[hooksetter]

Listened to Lance Fisher this morning he says nothing better then cutting them there cheeks out of fish while fishing and chomping down raw. Says they
are great just like almonds....("Slippery almonds")

 

[Born to be Wild]

A few of you mentioned smoked cheeks. Sounds interesting and I never thought of that one. I do prefer most seafood cooked by conventional methods over smoked myself. Fried cheeks are sooooo good it would be hard to do them any other way.

I liked chinarider's idea of BBQ'ing on skewers and am going to have to try that method. :cheers:

I did try them in Italion pasta (probably spaghetti) before and didn't like to well. I'll bet they would be good cooked in cream of mushroom soup as rockfish are.

A tip to charter boat customers:

Most charter boat fish fileters don't automatically cut your cheeks out for you (with the exception of halibut cheeks). They don't want to take the small amount of extra time to cut them out. :hoboy: I would demand them to remove the cheeks for you. Even a just barely legal ling (24") has cheeks large enough to enjoy and make it worth while. I have often gone in later and cheeked the ones they didn't and some times end up with a bag of cheeks as large as the bag of filets the average customer took home! :grin: A 15# ling or larger has a substantial amount of cheek meat.

Glad this thread came up. I think I will go down and salvage some cheeks from the charter fish now! :wink:

:dance: :dance:

 

[Born to be Wild]

Score! :wink:

76 cheeks!

The next pic shows a size comparison with a quarter and half dollar. The larger ones were from the tug trip (approx. 15-17# lings) with the exception of one big one caught inshore.

The last pic is of them inside my shop on my electronic scale. 4.92 pounds of cheeks. :dance:

Bill, if you see this in time, email me. I will be going through Oregon City tomorrow/today (Easter Sunday) on my way to Vancouver and Longview. I have plenty to spare and you can try out some of the above mentioned recipes.

Dan

 

[Bill Monroe]

Thanks everyone! I'll email you privately for permission to quote and hometowns...this will be fun...I think. At least it's one way to make the Atkins diet pay...