My little Italian grandmother was a skilled urban forager. She’d pick dandelion greens, succulent purslane, and pungent mustard garlic that she’d add to a salad bowl or soup pot to stretch a meal. I remember sitting at the table with her and picking every morsel of fish from its frame until the bones were spotless.
The conversations I’ve had with some of our fishermen have taught me they’re much like my grandmother: they make every morsel count. Collars, cheeks, tongues, and tips — discards from processing gorgeous fillets of halibut, salmon, sablefish, lingcod, and more. You won’t find those cuts in a grocery store or in your monthly share. They go to those clever and resourceful folks who know how to tease out every bit of edible deliciousness (or occasionally in one of our special one-time boxes).
Sablefish tips, the meaty bits tucked between the jaw and the collar, reminiscent of clam strips, are marinated in teriyaki sauce and pan fried. (Apparently, Yoshida’s is the sauce of choice in Sitka). Meaty king salmon heads go into traditional Filipino soups flavored with tamarind or coconut milk and sinus-clearing chiles.
We can practice tip-to-tail eating in our own kitchens using the amazing seafood in our subscription boxes. Crab and shrimp shells make great seafood stock, but did you know that you could infuse butter with them? Crush them up and simmer gently in lots of butter, then strain out the bits and chill until firm. Spread some onto crusty bread or spoon into risotto or pasta. Divine! Salmon skin becomes sweet black pepper “bacon” by sprinkling with brown sugar, black pepper, and salt and baking until crispy for a stellar bar snack!
My grandmother called it cucina povera (poor food). Some call it upcycling. Whatever we call it, let’s enjoy every morsel.
Grace
