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Fish heads I love sinigang (filipino tamarind base soup) freakin aweome just cook till almost meat falls off the bones. Colar I like grilling them. Salt and pepper

Fish heads I love sinigang (filipino tamarind base soup) freakin aweome just cook till almost meat falls off the bones. Colar I like grilling them. Salt and pepper

+1 on this.
You can buy the tamarind soup mix similar to this at almost any Asian grocery.

https://www.amazon.com/14-packs-Knorr-Tamarind-Soup-Mix/dp/B005QTFLDQ/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1493211360&sr=8-1&keywords=sinigang+mix

+1 on the soup mix. (But I'm filipino)
Can't go wrong though. As for fish collars, salt pepper and grill em!!
The best way!

Heads and collars have some of the best meat of the fish for sure.

I have my ways that I like to do them, but everyone is different so take what works for you from the info below and leave the rest. 

I don't try and leave any "extra" meat on them when filleting...I still try and get as much of the shoulder meat as possible on the fillet for boneless fillet recipes.

There are a couple different ways to go when prepping the head/collar:

1. Leave collar attached to head and cook both together...for smaller fish this can be the way the way to go...there is a sh*t ton of meat in the head to be picked out after grilling/baking...

2. Cut the collar off the head leaving the throat together and getting two pieces to cook...the head and the collar.

There is a small "lobe" that you can cut under that will make it easier to separate the collar from the head...this thread has some great pics of the lobe and the finished product:

http://spearingforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=4764&hilit=collar+cut

3. You can continue the belly cut all the way up through the throat and then remove the collars from each side of the head...this will give you three pieces to cook (head and two collars) and depending on how you are cooking them this may be preferable (smaller grill etc).

This is usually the way I do my cuts just cuz of my personal way of gutting and gilling fish...I'm not very delicate so just cut from butthole all the way up to chin and rip out gills and guts. Once home I decide if gonna leave collars attached on sides of head or cut them off and cook separately.

For actual cooking....here is a good example of how I did them on a recent BIG (legal ling size lol) verm:

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=77642.0

For soup, here is a good example of how I do it:

http://spearingforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=5292

If out camping or bbqing in back yard, a heavy duty foil packet works great to steam the head and/or collars...just rub with olive oil, sprinkle some salt/pepper or spice, squeeze a lemon, add some garlic etc and wrap up and throw in there...

Otherwise just salting and then grilling is an easy and great way to go...

Whatever you do, you will be getting WAY more meat and goodness than folks who just take the fillets and toss the rest. 

Some random pics attached.

 

Sincerely,

Jim

IMO Big Jim nailed it...There are so many options . My favorite is still frying up Ling belly , cheeks and collars  as an appetizer with different dipping sauces

Besides my wife Wendy is Chinese ..We don't throw anything out LOL

+1 on the belly meat making an awesome appetizer/meal!

 

Sincerely,

Jim

Nothing I make at home looks anywhere near as appetizing as what BigJim cooks up! 


I got inspired one day to do the head and collars of a ling, just like BigJim!  But after finding a grip of isopods in the gills, I lost my appetitie 

 

CANTONESE STYLE OF POACHING -  Head, belly, Collars are the best part.  Send it this way if you don't want to deal with it  .  Here is a Cantonese way.  Try poaching in hot water for 10 minutes.  Shut the flame when poaching.  Large pot may be the ticket.  Have pour on hot peanut oil, with dab of sesame seed oil heated with garlic.  Sprinkle white pepper powder before putting in the hot oil.  With the pan sill hot, put in Ginger, green onion, on the hot pan for about a minute to soften it up, and place on top of the fish.  Then, mix dark soy sauce, water, wine, with a dab of sugar mixture and place on top.  It is important to place hot oil before soy sauce on.  Larger pot of hot water is important.                                Herb N.

Nothing I make at home looks anywhere near as appetizing as what BigJim cooks up! 


I got inspired one day to do the head and collars of a ling, just like BigJim!  But after finding a grip of isopods in the gills, I lost my appetitie 

 

 

Extra protein bro!! Fry those boogers up!

 

 

Sincerely,

Jim

Nothing I make at home looks anywhere near as appetizing as what BigJim cooks up! 


I got inspired one day to do the head and collars of a ling, just like BigJim!  But after finding a grip of isopods in the gills, I lost my appetitie 

 

 

Extra protein bro!! Fry those boogers up!

 

 

Sincerely,

Jim

Are they softshells? Could have added them for extra flavors and protein yummy!!!   

CANTONESE STYLE OF POACHING -  Head, belly, Collars are the best part.  Send it this way if you don't want to deal with it  .  Here is a Cantonese way.  Try poaching in hot water for 10 minutes.  Shut the flame when poaching.  Large pot may be the ticket.  Have pour on hot peanut oil, with dab of sesame seed oil heated with garlic.  Sprinkle white pepper powder before putting in the hot oil.  With the pan sill hot, put in Ginger, green onion, on the hot pan for about a minute to soften it up, and place on top of the fish.  Then, mix dark soy sauce, water, wine, with a dab of sugar mixture and place on top.  It is important to place hot oil before soy sauce on.  Larger pot of hot water is important.                                Herb N.

MMMmmmm yeah that's it's...sexy

That soup looks awesome.