Miso glazed Chinook offal

[S-met]

Miso glaze pan seared chinook heart, liver and milt served over bamboo steamed sticky rice.
Another 1st for me. I like liver and heart, but never had fish liver or heart. First run for milt.

Salmon heart was fishy, liver was like a good goose or duck liver. To my surprise, the milt was really good. Kind of reminds me of a delicate mousse pâté. Of course miso glaze makes everything better.

 

[one eyed jack]

Looks pretty good to me. I have never even thought to try these parts.

 

[forktender]

You're a lot braver than me....lol
I couldn't do it.

 

[chilerelleno]

It's always a hurdle to overcome the thought of eating some critters testicles.
I've not had fish gnads, but I've had Rocky Mountain Oysters.

 

[forktender]

I'm sorry but I ain't eating nothings balls, EVER!!!

 

[chef jimmyj]

Looks good to me. I'll try anything but Big Bugs! I gag a bit watching Andrew Simmern eating them 2" long, fat, Coconut Grubs. I'd eat a whole plate of Deep Fried Nags sooner!...JJ

 

[S-met]

Wife and I were hoping for roe, but you get what you get. Fish needs to be big enough to make it worth your time, most of the fish we land are much smaller and I wouldn't bother with the innards.

Second, I wouldn't even consider if it was the least bit questionable. Carcass was pristine, no apparent injuries, healthy slime coat and close visual inspection showed no apparent parasites. Game on!

Third, I work in healthcare and spend a lot of time looking at innards and understanding how systems work. Every time I cut into a critter, I tend to take a few extra minutes to appreciate the marvel of the body as well as the similarities and differences between people and not people.

Finally, I got looking at the parts and pieces getting ready to toss in the trash and thought, "I wonder if I'm wasting any really great parts?" I can't tell you how many cheeks and collars go to waste annually. I looked up on the interwebs to see if there are any real safety concerns or risks. Some of the parts are delicacies throughout the world. Besides, I eat just about every other part imaginable, why stop now. Besides, the initial shock thought, its a lot less weird that the thought of eating the poop-shoots we use to case sausages (puns intended).

 

[S-met]

I'm not sure if anyone wants to see the uncooked product. But here it is anyway.

 

[one eyed jack]

Roe I would recognize. Some of the parts you cooked, I would not. But I'm in boat building not the medical field.

Your plate of parts looks good and fresh. Kudos for giving it a shot.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Saw a program where in Italy Tuna Milt is prized and eaten freshly sauteed or salted and dried similar to Bottarga, preserved Roe.
Americans are spoiled! In general, we can afford to eat just the premium Boneless, Skinless Fish Fillets. In many countries, one Fish may have to feed a large family, including multiple generations of extended family members. Literally nose to tail gets eaten, and the bones made into soup...JJ

 

[S-met]

I don't know that I would say spoiled (but without a doubt true). Without getting into some political or other inappropriately opinionated rhetoric, I think we are conditioned away from reality by separating meat from the animal. When is the last time you saw an actual animal at the butcher counter instead of pieces? Whole chicken including head and feet?

I don't know what the intended end game is here, but I have concerns that sound like something out of a dystopian sci-fi novel. My own personal crazy-talk aside, I honestly believe that we are frequently sold crap or damaged meat. They cut out the bad and package the good, all while slapping a "premium" label and charging a premium price.

...walking away from the soapbox before I go down a dark rabbit hole...

 

[chef jimmyj]

From the 20's to the 60's, People bought meat from the Town Butcher, all across the country. There were Green Grocers that came around the neighborhood with Fresh Vegetable or set up in Farmer's Markets.The Milkman delivered whatever dairy product you wanted. And the Bakery truck came around with Bread and Sweets. You pretty much only went to the area Grocery Store for Canned goods and bulk items like Flour, Sugar and Coffee.
By the 70's, Large Grocery Chains made it convenient for busy singles and households with 2 working parents, to do One Stop Shopping. Chain Store Butchers still cut sides, but that kind of talent is expensive. To save labor costs, Stores switched to Boxed Beef, Pork and Chickens. The experienced Butcher became the Meat Manager and they could hire and train, Unskilled labor to cut up Boxed sub-primals into Roasts and Steaks. The Town Butcher hung in awhile but was eventually pushed out of business by old customers going to Grocery Chains.
Fast forward some 30 years and people are realizing that Grocery Meat is generally an inferior product, coming from giant corporate feed lots, raising meat of questionable quality. Past Health Trends bred the Fat and the Flavor out of meat. Even tbe Beef Quality Grades changed. What, years ago, was considered only Choice, is know Graded Prime. Folks have finally are rediscovering that Saturated Animal Fat, in moderation, can be a Healthy choice, IF the animals are raised in clean, healthy conditions and on Pasture or even Grain Finished. The tide is turning. More and more Town Butcher shops are popping up and these guys and ladies, are sourcing Heritage Pork, Local Pasture Raised Beef and Small Farm Free Range Chickens that are Hand Processed, reducing the risk of Bacterial contamination. It cost a Premium but Meat is going back to the way things used to be!...JJ