Dutch Oven Fish Head Stew...

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

This recipe comes from Ike McCovey, a local Yurok Indian...
The fish used in this recipe is salmon.

Ingredients

1/2 piece salmon backbone
1 can corn
3 to 4 potatoes (peeled & diced)
4 to 5 chunks salmon
1 salmon head
1 skien salmon row
2 cups celery
1 lg onion
1 salmon tail
water
salt
pepper


Directions

Catch and clean salmon.
Fillet and chop salmon.
Fill dutch oven with salmon head, salmon row, celery, diced onion, peeled and chunked potato, chunks of salmon, salmon backbone, corn and salmon tail.
Add enough water to cover 2-3 inches above stew.
Boil until potatoes and fish done.
Salt & pepper to taste.

Note: Make sure when eating you don't swallow any bones.
Eat and enjoy.
Add anything else that sounds good...

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

OK... 60+ views and nary a single post, not even an "Ewww, that's gross" post.

A little known fact...
The sweetest meat found in a salmon, is located just below and behind the eyeball... it's called the cheek. Sometimes, bear will only eat this portion of the fish when runs are plentiful and the bear are already gorged out to the max...

This recipe is not a joke, or was intended to gross people out...
The idea to post it was spawned by a comment made in another thread regarding trolls...

[Juneaudave]

Not grossed out...I just don't think it would be a DO favorite for my tastes!!! Here in Juneau, you can go to most any supermarket and buy salmon heads most of the year for soup, and they sell a lot. Often, if you're cleaning a salmon at a the docks, passerbys will ask for the heads (for both soup, halibut bait and crab traps). They will also ask for the salmon roe, which is used for caviar and soup dishes.

My kids, when they were younger always liked to have a whole salmon roasted over an alder fire. Picking the meat off the backbone was a favorite treat...almost like licking the mixer beaters after mom cooked a cake!!!

I'm pretty sure your Yurok recipe at least equals gumbo, which from my experience can include anything from gator to crawdads.

God Bless Hot Sauce!!!

[Ma3tt]

Sounds weird! Don't send me any!

[Ira]

How are any site members here still living in Brooklyn going to be able to follow the first direction to this recipe:

"Catch salmon."

Any salmon that can survive the Hudson River has to be one hell of a fish!

"TAKE THAT GODDAMN HOOK OUT OF MY MOUTH!"

[apratt]

I use to live by a neibor lady that when ever I went fishing for sea bass and ling cod she always asked me for the fish cartilage. Her husband would always braged what a good cook she was. I never got a chance try her fish meals, had others they where good.

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

My kids, when they were younger always liked to have a whole salmon roasted over an alder fire. Picking the meat off the backbone was a favorite treat...almost like licking the mixer beaters after mom cooked a cake!!!

Oh Yaa...
Alder being the key word in that statement...
When I do make it up your way Dave, we are gonna have to do that FOR SURE!!!

[madjack]

Dave down here we souldn't use fish heads inna Gumbo...please...that would be called a Coubillion, which is a fish or seafood stew inna very hot red gravy
madjack

[Juneaudave]

When the road crew comes through and cuts all the 2 - 3 inch alder down on the highway (only got one road here)... I run out and gather up a truck load and use it for fish. For fresh salmon, I typically make a big bed of coals in the fire pit and roast the salmon over in one of those fish baskets with a bit of mayo (excuse me) and lemon pepper.




BTW...sorry Madjack about the "Coubillion" thing. Didn't mean to slight a fella. But really...okra in anything, unless fried...kills me!

[madjack]

Dave, you will be proud to know that I don't put okra in my gumbo...eeechh...I don't even like it fried unless it burns my taste buds.
madjack

[asianflava]

Dean I missed your "Rotten Alder Salmon" I think I got side tracked somewhere else in camp.

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

A lotta people missed it... I was late with it, actually brought the bullet smoker over to where the ranger was giving his bigfoot slide presentation and finished it up there. I worked my way around the crowd asking if anyone wanted any, it went pretty fast...