How to Make Fish-Head Soup

Fish heads have kind of a bad reputation. They're not sleek filets, not even crude steaks. But they have uses.

When I was a kid, my grandmother liked to make a kind of fish-head stew. She did so whenever we brought her some salmon. In fact, she specifically requested the heads, backs, belly fat, and whatever else we didn't immediately want. It was good, hearty stew, but, as her recipe was adapted from recipes handed down over generations, and the idea behind them was to use as few ingredients as possible to get the maximum value from fish, it lacked a little something.

As an adult, I thought long and hard about what that stew lacked. I came up with a short, but powerful list: Two or three tablespoons of butter, a leek or shallot, and some cream. Just like that, I transformed what was essentially a subsistence-level dish to something that I'd feel confident serving to the most demanding guest.

The essential ingredient, of course, is fish heads. Salmon, steelhead and trout heads work best, along with any other scraps of meat and fat are left over from the dinner you make with the whole fish. I've discovered that I can get free heads and backs by inquiring politely at the fish counter at the local market. Even if they won't just hand it over for free, which they usually do quite happily, they rarely charge more than a dollar or so a pound.

So it's either cheap or free, unlike the $10 a pound or more you'd spend on filets of the same fish.

Once you get it home, the idea is to bake the fish at about 300 degrees for about 30 minutes, When the meat starts to slide off the bone, remove it from the oven and let it cool until you can get in there with your bare hands and pick the meat out. Salmon cheeks are among nature's most delectable treats. I've also used halibut carcasses, but salmon are the best choice.

Once you have a nice big pile of meat in a bowl, pop it in the fridge while you put the bones, skin, fat and especially the head into a pressure cooker. Cook it down for another 30 minutes or so, until the brains and fat are mostly liquefied. The strained broth is golden, shining with fat, and packed with nutrition. Save it in a bowl while you get the rest of the soup ready.

Chunk up two or three potatoes and start simmering them on the back of the stove while you sautee an onion and a leek. A shallot also goes nicely. When these are browned, stir them into the potatoes, add the broth, and let it cook down until the rich aromas are driving you crazy. Then, turn the heat down to low and add a cup of milk or cream.

Then add the reserved meat.

Salt and pepper to taste. Black pepper is considered indispensable. Use it.

Serve it up with fresh bread or rolls. A crisp lager is perfectly complementary. A spoonful of sour cream is a welcome topping.

My grandmother's stew came out a little watery, because she was out to extend a few ingredients. There were chunks of potato floating in a slightly milky broth from which one cautiously removed the bones.

By keeping the bones out of the soup, and being a little more generous with the dairy products, it's possible to create, at very low cost, something very nutritious and delicious. I've served it to many people who were, at first, inclined to question the advisability of dining on fish heads. But few skeptics remained at the end of the meal.

Tip: you can most always get free heads and backs by hanging around at wharves or docks where fishermen are cleaning their catch. Usually they toss what they don't want to the seals.