Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊

[Food] Fish soup, gurnard's head



Harry Wilson's tackle

Harry Wilson's Tackle
NSC Patron
Oct 8, 2003
55,912
Faversham
49311.bin.jpg

An example of this little beauty was winking at me in the excellent fish shop in The Goods Shed (see below) in Canterbury today. The fisherman/fishmonger (he's both) filletted it for me and asked if we wanted the head: 'Makes great stock and soup' he said.

I am not one to waste potentially good food.

So....first I put the head and spine in the oven on a tray at 180 for 40 minutes. Then it went in a big saucepan with salt, 5 sticks of celerey (which I blended), half a bag of spinach (blended) 4 cloves of garlic, 2 bay leaves, a quartered raw onion, a quarter of a fresh lime, and a generous handful of fresh coriander. Topped up with water to cover the fish.

Meanwhile I sweated down one and a half red onions and another 4 cloves of garlick, on the hob, and put five sliced and oiled tomatoes in the oven at 180. As the fish soup gently bubbled, I waited till the tomatoes were beginning to caramelise, then decanted them in with the sweated onions which were also beginning to caramelise.

Mrs T helped me filter the bones and fins out of the fish soup then I decanted some of the suspension in with the onion and tomato, added two cloves, forgot to add cumin (next time...) and when it was bubbling added in some frozen king prawns.

Now that, my friends, was what I'd call dinner.

I have 300 ml of filtered soup left, along with the actual fillets of fish, for tomorrow. :rave::rave::rave:

goods shed.jpg
 






Guinness Boy

Tofu eating wokerati
Helpful Moderator
NSC Patron
Jul 23, 2003
37,316
Up and Coming Sunny Portslade
This, prepared by a proper Singaporean bloke and eaten there or Malaysia (because I had it in Malaysia) is the absolute business. I've not attempted it myself yet. I suspect the kids will probably prefer Papa John's.

Singapore Fish Head Curry
 


Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
73,888
West west west Sussex
Oh it's not a music thread and Gurnard's Head isn't a band.



Well that's super surprising.
 








vegster

Sanity Clause
May 5, 2008
28,262
View attachment 142270

An example of this little beauty was winking at me in the excellent fish shop in The Goods Shed (see below) in Canterbury today. The fisherman/fishmonger (he's both) filletted it for me and asked if we wanted the head: 'Makes great stock and soup' he said.

I am not one to waste potentially good food.

So....first I put the head and spine in the oven on a tray at 180 for 40 minutes. Then it went in a big saucepan with salt, 5 sticks of celerey (which I blended), half a bag of spinach (blended) 4 cloves of garlic, 2 bay leaves, a quartered raw onion, a quarter of a fresh lime, and a generous handful of fresh coriander. Topped up with water to cover the fish.

Meanwhile I sweated down one and a half red onions and another 4 cloves of garlick, on the hob, and put five sliced and oiled tomatoes in the oven at 180. As the fish soup gently bubbled, I waited till the tomatoes were beginning to caramelise, then decanted them in with the sweated onions which were also beginning to caramelise.

Mrs T helped me filter the bones and fins out of the fish soup then I decanted some of the suspension in with the onion and tomato, added two cloves, forgot to add cumin (next time...) and when it was bubbling added in some frozen king prawns.

Now that, my friends, was what I'd call dinner.

I have 300 ml of filtered soup left, along with the actual fillets of fish, for tomorrow. :rave::rave::rave:

View attachment 142272

Harry, as a genuine Sea Angler and lover of edible fish I would say this. Knorr fish stock cubes. Do you realise how much you have accelerated Global Warming by spending hours boiling up a fish head that would be better recycled by being thrown over your back fence for the local foxes ?
 


WATFORD zero

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 10, 2003
27,701
I had Gurnard once - big disappointment

I remember my son getting one in the reduced section at the university supermarket. He phoned me to ask how to cook it. I advised him to save the bother, bin it, and get fish and chips. Same as Grey Mullet.

Sorry :shrug:

Gurnard Pines, IOW was ok when the kids were small :thumbsup:
 






GT49er

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Feb 1, 2009
49,125
Gloucester
I had Gurnard once - big disappointment

I remember my son getting one in the reduced section at the university supermarket. He phoned me to ask how to cook it. I advised him to save the bother, bin it, and get fish and chips. Same as Grey Mullet.

Sorry :shrug:

There must be a reason why chippies (am I allowed t call them chippies these days?) don't offer gurnard and chips as alternatives to cod, haddock and rock salmon (which I'm not allowed to say any more either).

Too boney?
 


WATFORD zero

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 10, 2003
27,701
There must be a reson why chippies (am I allowed t call them chippies these days?) don't offer gurnard and chips as alternatives to cod, haddock and rock salmon (which I'm not allowed to say any more either).

Too boney?

Boney and tasteless IMHO. Probably ok for a stock ?

Mind you, I am a bit picky. Where I am at the moment the chippies put whiting in batter. What's the point of that :shrug:
 






vegster

Sanity Clause
May 5, 2008
28,262
I had Gurnard once - big disappointment

I remember my son getting one in the reduced section at the university supermarket. He phoned me to ask how to cook it. I advised him to save the bother, bin it, and get fish and chips. Same as Grey Mullet.

Sorry :shrug:

One of the key drivers in the fish ( eating ) market are a, does it taste nice ? and b, is there lots of it easily obtainable ? Gurnard falls flat in both sections I'm afraid. ... and PLEASE do NOT mention Grey Mullet...... there is a reason why they are so plentiful in our rivers and estuaries, they eat shit and they taste of shit. If Cod or Haddock had ever found their way up the Ouse to Lewes would there be ANY left in the river ?
 


Is it PotG?

Thrifty non-licker
Feb 20, 2017
25,420
Sussex by the Sea
One of the key drivers in the fish ( eating ) market are a, does it taste nice ? and b, is there lots of it easily obtainable ? Gurnard falls flat in both sections I'm afraid. ... and PLEASE do NOT mention Grey Mullet...... there is a reason why they are so plentiful in our rivers and estuaries, they eat shit and they taste of shit. If Cod or Haddock had ever found their way up the Ouse to Lewes would there be ANY left in the river ?

I'd suggest similar criteria applies to that 'meaty' River Cobbler on sale at your local supermarket.
 




vegster

Sanity Clause
May 5, 2008
28,262
Boney and tasteless IMHO. Probably ok for a stock ?

Mind you, I am a bit picky. Where I am at the moment the chippies put whiting in batter. What's the point of that :shrug:

Whiting are in fact " Cheaper than Chips " they are bland and tasteless ergo remarkably cheap.... if you catch them yourself and deep fry them in the first couple of days they are not too bad but, there's a reason why they are not top of the menu... they taste of very little.
 


Raleigh Chopper

New member
Sep 1, 2011
12,054
Plymouth
Gurnard is a very nice fish to eat and a Prime example of how we don't eat hardly any fish/shellfish in this country and most of it is exported (or left to rot on the quayside these days)
 


Guinness Boy

Tofu eating wokerati
Helpful Moderator
NSC Patron
Jul 23, 2003
37,316
Up and Coming Sunny Portslade
Boney and tasteless IMHO. Probably ok for a stock ?

Mind you, I am a bit picky. Where I am at the moment the chippies put whiting in batter. What's the point of that :shrug:

The only people I know who do that are the Jocks. And they put EVERYTHING in batter. :shrug:
 


Raleigh Chopper

New member
Sep 1, 2011
12,054
Plymouth
Whiting are in fact " Cheaper than Chips " they are bland and tasteless ergo remarkably cheap.... if you catch them yourself and deep fry them in the first couple of days they are not too bad but, there's a reason why they are not top of the menu... they taste of very little.

Agreed and Pollock is no substitute for Cod or Haddock either.
 




Machiavelli

Well-known member
Oct 11, 2013
17,752
Fiveways
View attachment 142270

An example of this little beauty was winking at me in the excellent fish shop in The Goods Shed (see below) in Canterbury today. The fisherman/fishmonger (he's both) filletted it for me and asked if we wanted the head: 'Makes great stock and soup' he said.

I am not one to waste potentially good food.

So....first I put the head and spine in the oven on a tray at 180 for 40 minutes. Then it went in a big saucepan with salt, 5 sticks of celerey (which I blended), half a bag of spinach (blended) 4 cloves of garlic, 2 bay leaves, a quartered raw onion, a quarter of a fresh lime, and a generous handful of fresh coriander. Topped up with water to cover the fish.

Meanwhile I sweated down one and a half red onions and another 4 cloves of garlick, on the hob, and put five sliced and oiled tomatoes in the oven at 180. As the fish soup gently bubbled, I waited till the tomatoes were beginning to caramelise, then decanted them in with the sweated onions which were also beginning to caramelise.

Mrs T helped me filter the bones and fins out of the fish soup then I decanted some of the suspension in with the onion and tomato, added two cloves, forgot to add cumin (next time...) and when it was bubbling added in some frozen king prawns.

Now that, my friends, was what I'd call dinner.

I have 300 ml of filtered soup left, along with the actual fillets of fish, for tomorrow. :rave::rave::rave:

View attachment 142272

We went to The Goods Shed in the summer. And again. Perfect for those inclined towards that sort of thing.
What I'm really impressed with, however, is that you managed to sweat the garlick with the onions while matching the garlic with the fish head. Heaven forbid if you'd done it the other way round. And, while we're at it, I'm pleased you blended the celerey, because celery is just too stringy to blend.

That's the Gurnard's head sorted. What Pot(ter) have you got in store for Gerrard's head for late lunch tomorrow?
 


Raleigh Chopper

New member
Sep 1, 2011
12,054
Plymouth
There must be a reason why chippies (am I allowed t call them chippies these days?) don't offer gurnard and chips as alternatives to cod, haddock and rock salmon (which I'm not allowed to say any more either).

Too boney?

Very small fillets which are nice though.
There are many things you can do with Gurnard though like Bisque and curry, a decent addition to a seafood Pealla too.
 


Albion and Premier League latest from Sky Sports


Top
Link Here