Heads Up - A Tutorial on Salmon Head

I might not have the culinary depth and prowess of Zimmerman or Bourdain, but I know a thing or two (and quite possibly more) about wiping clean a grilled salmon head.

Disclaimer: the following pictures might cause one to develop extreme discomfort.

Any fan of fish head would tell you it is never pretty but that is precisely why I love eating the grilled salmon head. I only eat the grilled salmon head when I am 110% comfortable with the people I am dining. I don't really care about how strangers perceive me though there was once I had a conversation with this middle-aged guy who saw my emptied plate and said," I would have done the same thing."



Unlike preparing it, there really isn’t a proper or correct way to eat the grilled salmon head. What I am about to divulge is my way of polishing up every bit and morsel – something that I picked up through experience and determination. Oh by the way, I take my head with lots of wasabi =)



I’m not going to leave the best part till the end so here goes. The collar. Tender, fatty and succulent, the collar has the entire package. I used to literally save this part for the finale but I soon realized that the fattiness and fullness don’t seat well with together. Best enjoy it at the start for maximum satisfaction.



The top of the head is usually quite boring part though I feel reveals the true technique of the kitchen. Anyone can make fat taste good. But chicken breast? Hmmm.



When done well, the meaty top spots a pink that you so often see in fashion magazines. But if overdone, the crown is dry, tough and basically cooked fish meat that you eat only because there are starving kids in Africa.



The cheek is a close second. Flavour-wise, it is not as rich as the collar but its silky, delicate tenderness would leave one speechless except for that periodic “Mmm”. On top of that, its scarcity makes it even more desirable. I remember earlier this year, New York Times asked couples to describe their relationship in 6 words and I thought ours was, “We share the grilled salmon cheek.”



There are no tricks to tackling the face. You either start from the top half near the eyeball or the bottom at the lips. Whichever section you gun for, be careful of the teeth which would snag the walls of your mouth if you are not careful.

I think the skin is supposed to contain the Fountain of Youth, the El Dorado of collagen. I will let you know in 40 years if that is really the case.



Eye prefer to let my other half have the eyeball as the queasiness puts me off. However, the areas behind the eye and lips carry flesh and muscle that you have to scavenge for. There is a lot of face-sucking when it comes to this part but thou shall not be afraid of such public display of affection.



Ta-dah!

I hope this post hasn’t been too morbid for you.