Yellowtail ceviche?

[TCS]

[QUOTE=dsafety;46067]Just thinking. After filleting a YT or other fish, there seems to be a lot of good meat still on the bones and in the head. Has anyone tried to gleen this meat from the carcas and use it for ceviche or some other purpose?

I have seen some of our master fishers bring frozen fish heads to cut up for chum while making bait. If this meat would be better served with a bit of lemon, lime, onion and tomato, I think that one might be able to get an extra meal or two out of each fish.

Any thoughts?

I used my WSB head and carcass to make fish stock at the beginning of the summer. Its a killer ingredient for sauces, does not taste fishy at all. Googled for the recipe.

[dsafety]

[QUOTE=TCS;46089]

Originally Posted by dsafety

Just thinking. After filleting a YT or other fish, there seems to be a lot of good meat still on the bones and in the head. Has anyone tried to gleen this meat from the carcas and use it for ceviche or some other purpose?

I have seen some of our master fishers bring frozen fish heads to cut up for chum while making bait. If this meat would be better served with a bit of lemon, lime, onion and tomato, I think that one might be able to get an extra meal or two out of each fish.

Any thoughts?

I used my WSB head and carcass to make fish stock at the beginning of the summer. Its a killer ingredient for sauces, does not taste fishy at all. Googled for the recipe.

Fish Stock? I often make chicken or turkey stock but never thought of using fish. What kinds of recipes do you use this stock in?

Bob

[j mo]

[QUOTE=dsafety;46738]

Originally Posted by TCS

Fish Stock? I often make chicken or turkey stock but never thought of using fish. What kinds of recipes do you use this stock in?

Bob

My Wife is a New Englander and like all good seafaring New England families they have their chowder recipes which they covet and argue endlessly over. All real chowder recipes start with a fish stock, which I submit is the most critical aspect of making chowder!

The key in my extended families opinion is "sweating". A process of layering the fish heads and bones ontop of your base vegetables ( onion/celery/carrot) for ~10-15mins. You can google why this "sweating" method is important, but I have learned not to question tradition!

This is adapted from epicurious but similar enough although I know Vermouth is used in some form in my extended families recipe

Goods-

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium onions, very thinly sliced
4 stalks celery, very thinly sliced
2 medium carrots, very thinly sliced
2 dried bay leaves
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves and stems
6 to 8 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
1 large (6 inches long or more) or 2 small (4 inches long or less) fish heads from cod or haddock (East Coast) or WSB/Yellowtail West Coast), split lengthwise, gills removed, and rinsed clean of any blood
2 1/2 to 3 pounds fish frames (bones) from from above fish, cut into 2-inch pieces and rinsed clean of any blood
1/4 cup dry white wine
About 2 quarts very hot or boiling water
Kosher or sea salt

Prep

1. Melt the butter in a heavy 7- to 8-quart stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, carrots, bay leaves, parsley, thyme, and peppercorns and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the vegetables become very soft without browning, about 8 minutes.

2. Place the fish head on the vegetables and stack the fish frames evenly on top. Pour in the wine, cover the pot tightly, and let the bones sweat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they have turned completely white.

3. Add enough very hot or boiling water to just barely cover the bones. Give the mixture a gentle stir and allow the brew to come to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered, carefully skimming off any white foam that comes to the surface, trying not to take any herbs, spices, or vegetables with it. (Using a ladle and a circular motion, push the foam from the center to the outside of the pot, where it is easy to remove.)

4. Remove the pot from the stove, stir the stock again, and allow it to steep for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer and season lightly with salt. If you are not going to be using the stock within the hour, chill it as quickly as possible. Cover the stock after it is thoroughly chilled (it will have a light jellied consistency) and keep refrigerated for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.

I digress though as i am merley a journeymen, someday I will master the art of CHOWDA though as I will not be out done by a bunch of MASSholes

Best

[taggermike]

I've made some great ceviche over the years and I have never followed a recipe. But I have noticed the following factors that tend to make the civeche come out better.
1. The the smaller the pieces of fish are the more contact they will have with the lemon juice and the faster the citric acid will cure them. I watched a pangero in Baja use 2 forks to shred the fish off the fillet. This yields thin ribbons of fish that 'cooked' or cured in the lemon in about a hour. This the way I prepare my fish now. I don't like waiting over night to eat my ceviche and it's faster than finely mincing the fish with a knife.
2. I have noticed that during the curing in lemon or lime juice that any blood, discoloration, or fishy flavor in the fish will be transfered to the lemon. After the fish is cured through, white and non-transparant, I try to remove ALL the lemon or lime juice from the curing process. I will run the fish under fresh water in to a bowl and then use both hands or a collender to tightly wring the fish out. This yields a clean, mild, almost dry fish for the next step.
3. If I have a 'secret' to my civeche it is the rinsing step. While the fish is curing, about an hour, I prep the veggies. I like fresh crunchy salsa so I use a knife to chop
roma and beef steak tomatos
green and yellow onion
lots of cilantro
red or yellow sweet bell type peppers
jalapino and serrano peppers

I don't messure, I just taste and add until it's right. After the veggies are done I add some fresh lime juice and a little salt. The juice and salt start to break down the salsa and make it a little juicy. Then when I add the rinced almost dry fish to the veggies the fish absorbs the fresh flavors of the salsa insted of retaining any lemon or fishy flavor from the curing.

It's only a little extra work but I like the results. Mike

[PB fisher]

I would recommend adding clams too.
Bay shrimp seem to work best- smaller size.