Doesn't it make your mouth just water......

[jeral Profile]

Do you get whitebait Member 461? Normally each dipped in a very light batter to serve. Coincidentally, I happened to notice some in a shop freezer yesterday.

Badger's Mate mentioned needing a lot of squirrels to make a dinner. I read that as very laborious preparation. Then again, easier than filleting whitebait

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I love whitebait but apparently not sustainable as they are babies and best left to grow up

I think fried anchovies are fairly similar?

[Badger's Mate Profile]

Badger's Mate mentioned needing a lot of squirrels to make a dinner. I read that as very laborious preparation.

Not unduly laborious, but there ain't much meat on them (particularly around the front end). Rather more than on a whitebait, admittedly.

But when eating pigs head once I encountered its err “dentures” and that put me off

I must admit that snouts, eyes, ears and teeth never really bothered me. If you cook the heads properly the meat all comes off the crunchy bits anyway. Then it's just meat. A dish of 'Pigs Head and Beans' at B&W is a bean stew with a beautifully rich gravy and shreds of meat in it.


In Iceland (Nordic country, not frozen food store formerly known as Bejam) it was not uncommon to look in a supermarket freezer and see a sheep's head looking back. Cod's head and shoulders used to be a known cut - the cheeks and tongues are lovely.

[mark111757 Profile]

Talking of fish heads....

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cn73Wtem0

[Alexandria Profile]

Sue,

I have not checked the Iberian info / stastiistics on Cantabrian Fresh Wild Anchovies, predominately caught and sold to a huge number of bars & restaurants & hotels throughout the Iberian Peninsula ..

However, they are quite available and relatively inexpensive ..


During the late Spring, May through end of August, the availability of northern Iberian finned fish species, are more scant in comparison to the early autumn through May, however, are also available at the bars, restaurants and hotels ..


We just had them for lunch yesterday .. And we are in Andalusia .. Their popularity is quite astounding ..

Have a nice day .. When I have the time to check in Spanish with the proper authorities in Cantabria, I will make note of my findings.

[Alexandria Profile]

Mark,

Thank you for the link ..
Going now to watch it !

Have a nice day ..

[Alexandria Profile]

Sue,

According to the: Sin Mal Espina Org ( The Fishing Ministry of Cantabria, Without Bad Bones Org. ), the Bay of Biscay, Cantabria & The Basque Country, there is a ruling from the European Unión on size, not quantity. The fresh wild Boquerones must be mature at 11 cm. in size. They could be larger but not under 11 cm ..

The imports from Japan and Australia: These arrive frozen and are only used in the canning & jarring industry for anchovies ( they are anchovies when salted and canned or jarred, and Boquerones when wild and fresh .. )

Their movements are predominately The Bay of Biscay and the Southern French Mediterranean Coast, The Italian Mediterranean Coast, Portugal, The Mediterranean Coast of Costa Brava,
and south to Morocco ..

Their season for fishing is April - May and June ..

Have a nice day ..

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Thank you Member 461

I only meant that fried anchovies are similar to eat to whitebait, which are mainly baby herring (with the occasional sprat) not that sustainability was also an issue

[Alexandria Profile]

Sue,

Good Evening ..

I have never had white bait, so I cannot give an opinion .. I have had herrings in Copenhagen and Stockholm some years ago .. A Smorgabord full of various herrings and other fish varieties from the Scandinavian Waters. They were delicious ..

I had boquerones last night in Granada, and they were truly wonderful !

And a very interesting fish for lunch, which is called an Amberjack (very popular in Sicily too) .. I posted the recipe, however, it could be prepared with any firm white or blue fish ..

Have a nice evening .. Now, we are close to the Port of Málaga .. And we are all quite tired as it has been a long coach trip ..

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Fried anchovies

anchivues.jpg (9.89 KiB) Viewed 4618 times

Fried whitebait

whitebait.jpg (176.23 KiB) Viewed 4618 times

[Badger's Mate Profile]

It's sprat season, don't forget those. Rather easier to fillet than whitebait. Just squeeze the fried sprats between your forefinger on the back and thumb under the belly of the sprat, along the backbone, from the head to the tail and the meat will separate from the bone. The tiny pinbones are not a problem, eat the sprats with crusty bread.