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I was just out looking for some new walleye recipes and came acrossed one for walleye cheeks.
Back when I fished for sturgeon up on the Columbia you could cut out the cheek muscles and they were considered a real treat. This is red meat that is almost like steak. They were about the size of a can of soup on a six footer.
I have been seeing all thess nice eyes being caught lately and was wondering if anyone has tried to cut the cheeks out of the bigger eyes???
We caught a nice 25" one this last weekend and I didn't even think about the cheeks.
Are there other species of fish that the cheeks are worth harvesting??
Next time I'll see if they are worth the time....
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Yes, I cut the cheeks out of those big Eyes we caught last week but haven't tried them yet. They were about the size of a quarter. WH2
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[cool]Almost all fish of any size have the cheek muscles. They are highly prized by many fish eating peoples...and increasingly in this ocuntry. They are not large, and seem hardly worth the effort...until you learn the little cut and twist move to pop them out quickly.
Think scallops...small but tasty. On a walleye, however, the fillet is about as good as it gets. Don't know as the cheeks are any better...just something new for most folks.
Where it is legal to keep bigger largies and smallies, many who are lucky enough to bag a biggun do cut out the cheeks. This morsel is also popular on stripers and wipers of any size.
One thing that would surprise most fishermen is how much useable flesh remains on even a well filleted carcass. Try poaching or steaming the spine and rib cage on a large walleye or wiper sometime, and then flake off the cooked meat. You will get a bunch. Dribble on some melted garlic butter and you have ersatz crab meat...or chill it and add it to a salad.
If you really wanna be thrifty in the total use department, boil the head and see how much good edible flesh you can scrape from it. Again, cultures that must salvage every scrap of edible fish flesh can make a tasty meal for several people from the heads of one or two good sized fish.
For fish poaching and steaming I use a soup pot that has a good fitting lid. I just put in enough water to cover the subject, add some dried onion flakes and garlic powder, some salt and pepper...cayenne if you like spicy. Do a quick boil for only about five minutes or so, until the flesh turns white and flaky. Then pick it off the bones with a small fork.
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I get a lot of strange responses when I tell people I eat fish cheeks. I don't think a lot of people have heard of it around here. I eat the cheeks of almost any fish. I even eat the cheeks of trout. It doesn't matter how big the fish is, if you cook the fish with the head on you can easily lift the plate that the cheek muscle is under and pull it out. I find this to be the most tasty part of any fish.
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Here is the recipe for some cheeks that I found on Walleye Central. [font "verdana,arial,helvetica"][size 2]Walleye fillets and Cheeks in Green Peppercorn Sauce
(adapted from a recipe by chef Doreen Randal)
4 walleye fillets cut into bite size chunks
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
12 walleye cheeks *
1 tablespoon green peppercorns **
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1) heat the butter in large frypan over high heat until it begins to brown
2) add the lemon rind, fish and cheeks. Brown quickly, stirring carefully.
3) add the green peppercorns and lemon juice quickly, season with salt and
pepper then cover the pan and remove from heat. Let stand, covered, 5 mins.
4) Serve immediately.
* this recipe originally called for scallops but i substituted walleye cheeks.
** if green peppercorns are freeze dried, soak in hot water for 5 mins. before adding to recipe.
Enjoy!
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The cheeks on a walleye has almost the same texture and taste of a frog leg.
That might not sound appetizing to some individuals, but I think it's great.
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Thanks for the comparison fff I never had the desire to eat frog legs but if they taste like fish cheks I am all for it
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