Fish frames are often referred to as ‘waste’. Removing as much of the fillet as possible is the goal for many and whatever’s left over is a mere afterthought. They are a treasure lost as they get tossed overboard or end up dumped or in your trash at home.
Although fish frames are predominantly used to create fish stocks and broths, they can also be used in a number of delicious and exciting ways. Smoking, baking and boiling are some of the common ways to enjoy your frames.
We believe fresh is always best. If you’re lucky enough to have a few fresh frames available, give this super simple but delicious recipe a try!
Recipe by: Tim Nightingale – x_kilometres
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Feeds: 4-5 as snacks
Difficulty: 1/5
Part of fish: Frame
Ingredients:
- 3-4 large fish frames
- Fresh horseradish to taste
- 100g sour cream
- 20g diced shallot
- 15g olive oil
- 10g lemon juice
- 20g sliced chives
- Small bunch of fennel fronds
- Cracked pepper
- Pinch of salt
- Flatbread or toasted sourdough
Method:
- Take your fresh frames out of the fridge (cold fish works best).
- Grab a teaspoon and start scraping from the spine down. You’ll lift off all that hard to get to meat and this becomes your tartare. Save the spent frames, they are now ideal for making a clear broth.
- Mix your horseradish and sour cream together and smear across a platter.
- Put your fish, diced shallot, olive oil, lemon juice, sliced chives and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Give it a quick mix and arrange on top of the horseradish mix.
- Finish with a bit more olive oil, fennel fronds and cracked pepper; serve it with some toasted sourdough or flatbreads.
Variations of this dish are completely up to you – sub out horse radish for wasabi, garnish with toasted sesame or drop the sour cream and put your tartare on some whipped avocado. The idea is the fat content from the cream/avocado will carry the flavour of the fish so it’s important to keep it simple.