Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum

Fishing in British Columbia => The Fish Kitchen => Topic started by: Rodney on February 01, 2009, 06:05:21 PM

Title: How thoroughly do you eat your fish?
Post by: Rodney on February 01, 2009, 06:05:21 PM
(http://www.fishingwithrod.com/albums/blog-2009/090201_02.jpg)

When you bring home that prized catch, do you fillet your fish and throw away the rest? The bones usually carry a few more hundred grams of meat, depending on how well the fish is filleted. Although it does not seem much, it could be precious waste especially when the current salmon and steelhead stocks are not what they used to be.

I usually prefer to save the leftovers after filleting. They are then cut into pieces and pan fried after being seasoned with salt and pepper. The meat can be removed from the bones quite easily and make a good meal or two when mixed with rice or pasta.
Title: Re: How thoroughly do you eat your fish?
Post by: Sam Salmon on February 01, 2009, 08:10:32 PM
To my mind an ultra sharp knife is the key to proper fish cleaning/no waste-that and having a decent place to filet not crouched on a rocky beach in the freezing rain somewhere.

I use Japanese waterstones to sharpen my fish knives and they're sharp enough to shave with/never used for anything else ever.
Title: Re: How thoroughly do you eat your fish?
Post by: MERC on February 01, 2009, 09:47:13 PM
And, you can use the head, and the bones to make a fumet de poisson or fish stock. 
Title: Re: How thoroughly do you eat your fish?
Post by: WEEFISH on February 02, 2009, 09:04:32 PM
Well call her spoiled but I bake the bones and scraps in the oven and serve the leftover morsels to my pup...she LOVES them!!
Title: Re: How thoroughly do you eat your fish?
Post by: Funeral Of Hearts on February 03, 2009, 12:30:55 PM
Nothing goes to waste for me. The raw leftovers go to my sister for her dog and I sometimes use the head for crabbing. I try not to waste any food.
Title: Re: How thoroughly do you eat your fish?
Post by: Eagleye on February 04, 2009, 01:01:13 PM
I generally save my fish heads for a friend of mine who makes fish soup with them.  If I do a bad fillet job I cut the leftover meat off in strips for making indian candy or a more effective way is to use a spoon to scoop/scrap it out and make salmon patties with it.
Title: Re: How thoroughly do you eat your fish?
Post by: DionJL on February 08, 2009, 02:02:25 AM
I always save my fish heads for crabbing. I normally take any left over slices of fish from filleting and turn it into ceviche.
Title: Re: How thoroughly do you eat your fish?
Post by: DaN ThE MaN on February 08, 2009, 11:20:51 PM
Left overs from filleting goes straight into the piranha tank, they love it.
Title: Re: How thoroughly do you eat your fish?
Post by: Nitroholic on March 26, 2009, 01:15:33 PM
after I fillet, I clean the skeleton really good, throw it in some teriyaki sauce, and throw it right on the grill. Great appy  ;)
Title: Re: How thoroughly do you eat your fish?
Post by: skibumAB on April 04, 2009, 03:18:42 PM
I have heard that it is dangerous to give dogs raw salmon.
Title: Re: How thoroughly do you eat your fish?
Post by: skibumAB on April 04, 2009, 03:20:33 PM
http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/ClientED/salmon.aspx (http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/ClientED/salmon.aspx)



Fishing can be wonderful recreation, but sharing the catch with your dog can be an act of kindness that kills. 
Salmon Poisoning Disease is a potentially fatal condition seen in dogs that eat certain types of raw fish. Salmon (salmonid fish) and other anadromous fish (fish that swim upstream to breed) can be infected with a parasite called Nanophyetus salmincola. Overall, the parasite is relatively harmless. The danger occurs when the parasite itself is infected with a rickettsial organism called Neorickettsia helminthoeca. It’s this microorganism that causes salmon poisoning.

“Salmon poisoning occurs most commonly west of the Cascade mountain range,” says  Dr. Bill Foreyt, a veterinary parasitologist at Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. He adds, “Canids (dogs) are the only species susceptible to salmon poisoning. That’s why cats, raccoons and bears eat raw fish regularly with out consequence.”

Generally clinical signs appear within six days of a dog eating an infected fish.

Common symptoms of salmon poisoning include:

vomiting
lack of appetite
fever
diarrhea
weakness
swollen lymph nodes 
dehydration
If untreated, death usually occurs within fourteen days of eating the infected fish. Ninety percent of dogs showing symptoms die if they are not treated.
Thankfully, salmon poisoning is treatable if it’s caught in time. A key to its diagnosis is telling your veterinarian that your dog ate raw fish. If you have a dog that wanders, or raids trashcans and you are unsure of what it’s eaten; consider the possibility of salmon poisoning.  Salmon poisoning can be diagnosed with a fecal sample or a needle sample of a swollen lymph node. Detecting the parasite’s eggs as they are shed in the feces confirms its presence. The rickettsial organism can be detected in a needle sample from a swollen lymph node. The combination of symptoms, and the presence of parasite eggs or the rickettsial organisms, are enough to justify treatment.

Given the severity of the condition, treatment is relatively simple. Your veterinarian will prescribe an antibiotic and a “wormer”. The antibiotic kills the rickettsial organisms that cause the illness, and the wormer kills the parasite. If the dog is dehydrated, intravenous fluid are given. Once treatment has been started, most dogs show dramatic improvement within two days. 
Next time you are fishing or purchase raw salmon and you hear the familiar begging whine of your dog, ignore it. They may not understand it, but not sharing the fish is the best thing for them. This will save them from suffering salmon poisoning, and save you from a veterinary bill.

This Pet Health Topic was written by Sarah Hoggan, Washington State University, Class of 2001.

Washington State University assumes no liability for injury to you or your pet incurred by following these descriptions or procedures.

Title: Re: How thoroughly do you eat your fish?
Post by: Nymph on April 05, 2009, 06:00:40 AM
Thanks for the info SkibumAB.

I never would have thought that dogs could be harmed by raw salmon.
Title: Re: How thoroughly do you eat your fish?
Post by: Nick78 on April 08, 2009, 05:34:00 AM
I use the bones and fins and the leftover meat to make a fish stock. Head and skin for crabbing. Roe for fishing or my own. Nothing is wasted when I keep one.
Title: Re: How thoroughly do you eat your fish?
Post by: Headshake on April 08, 2009, 03:26:58 PM
Skeleton is barbecued then flaked for sandwiches, or sometimes soup. Head and tail is used for crabbing, roe we eat or use for bait. The only thing I chuck is the fins. Cuts down on garbage and they are too little to use for crabbing as they fall out of my bait holder.
Title: Re: How thoroughly do you eat your fish?
Post by: fishinfever on April 10, 2009, 11:16:35 PM
does anyone know if freezing salmon kills the parasite that effects the dogs?
guess we have been fortunate so far. My wife would have hard time forgiving me if i killed the dogs sneaking scaps to them. ;D
Title: Re: How thoroughly do you eat your fish?
Post by: TheChumWhisperer on April 12, 2009, 06:01:29 PM
I never knew that feeding my dog fish could potentially harm him.  Thanks for the info. 
Title: Re: How thoroughly do you eat your fish?
Post by: HARLEY on May 03, 2009, 11:21:51 AM
I have heard that it is dangerous to give dogs raw salmon.

Most dogs like fish--the fish is good for them except something like cod that can often have worms in the belly portion. I would never ever feed a dog bones from fish or chicken. Sooner or later you are going to have a serious problem.

Title: Re: How thoroughly do you eat your fish?
Post by: drivel on May 11, 2009, 11:10:57 PM
The fillets go to the guests - if there are any. 

The belly, cheeks and bones get marinated in soy and ginger and put under the broiler.  That's the best part!!

Title: Re: How thoroughly do you eat your fish?
Post by: salmon river on May 12, 2009, 06:55:04 AM
The only fish I actually keep are Whitefish from the Stave for my smoker.  I will only keep Rainbows if they are badly hooked, like with bleeding gills in areas where you are allowed to keep any.  I do love trout though.  I basically just c&r these days..
Title: Re: How thoroughly do you eat your fish?
Post by: dspot on May 30, 2009, 12:49:26 AM
I use the fish heads and bones/meat for making seviche, soup or for crabbing.
Title: Re: How thoroughly do you eat your fish?
Post by: captainzippy on September 01, 2009, 07:23:37 PM
fish head soup with coconut milk - cant beat it
Title: Re: How thoroughly do you eat your fish?
Post by: Nucks on September 08, 2009, 08:17:02 PM
Anything left over after filleting gets saved for the dog. I take my skinny fillet knife and take almost everything off, put it in tin foil and bbq along with the rest of the fish for that evening. I feed the cooked trimmings to the dog and then freeze it in smaller containers so it gets spread out over time. I do this as well with all my scraps from filleting the whites before I smoke them. The dog pretty much gets fish year round with the amount of fishing that i do.
Title: Re: How thoroughly do you eat your fish?
Post by: Wulff Man on September 10, 2009, 01:44:53 PM
i also try to use the whole fish even if it is just for stock. ive been freezing the leftovers for the dog and havent had any problems.
Title: Re: How thoroughly do you eat your fish?
Post by: joeyroach on September 17, 2009, 03:56:51 PM
With a culinary background I definately use all I can but have to admit i do not eat the heads. I have use them for soup stock but do not eat the cheeks and what not. I used to save them for a lady I worked with and she loved them. But there is definately more to eat than just the fillet. If you boil the Skeleton most of the meat falls right off and is excellent for soup, salad, sandwhiches and the list goes on. In the future i will share some of the recipes i have had success in the Hotels and resorts i used to work.
Title: Re: How thoroughly do you eat your fish?
Post by: fisherwithrod on September 18, 2009, 10:44:36 AM
I always save the head, tail, fins, and some belly fat for fish soup, package and save in freezer. It's an European recipe, we love eating fish soup with the right ingredients.

The frozen soup packages last us well until early in the new year. When we are filleting our fish, we also save the back bones with all the meat that's left on them. It's delicious to find pieces of meat later in soup!

Mmmm, I'm craving a good salmon soup...
Title: Re: How thoroughly do you eat your fish?
Post by: Menno on October 14, 2009, 04:10:16 PM
I never knew that dogs could be harmed by raw salmon....good to know.
Title: Re: How thoroughly do you eat your fish?
Post by: aquaholic on November 01, 2009, 05:39:07 PM
wow, guess i will stop feeding my dog raw fish i never would have thought i was harming the old thing.
Title: Re: How thoroughly do you eat your fish?
Post by: gordc on December 16, 2009, 02:12:39 PM
this fall after an epic day of Coho fishing we had some heads and tails in a container in the back of the truck.  In the early am we found that racoons had set up shop right in the back of the truck and were feasting nicely.
Title: Re: How thoroughly do you eat your fish?
Post by: rides bike to work on December 18, 2009, 07:54:48 PM
whe im going to barbque salmon a cut it along the back bone on the inside thenfold it open like two filets and babque skin down after it it almost cooked I grab the back bone and put it out taking all the bones with it then add the barbque sauce no waste.
Title: Re: How thoroughly do you eat your fish?
Post by: vancook on December 18, 2009, 11:41:54 PM
as a cook, when we filet fish for the restaurant we used the scraps and trim for chowder or stock. At home I usually keep the heads for crabbing and I cook the bones to use the meat for sandwiches.