Friday, November 23, 2007

Fish Heads on Friday



Why are fish heads so unappreciated? After all, the whole American agricultural industry started when the colonists off the Mayflower learned from their Native American friend Squanto how to fertilize their corn seeds with fish heads. Every little American kid learns the story at school.

But do we have a National Fish Head Day? is there a Fish Head postage stamp? Does the President pardon two fish named May and Flower, and then send them to Disney World instead of getting their heads chopped off?

Instead we have this national obsession with giving thanks for turkeys. What's so special about turkeys?

I am starting a campaign to earn due recognition for the contribution of fish heads to the history and continued success of our great nation. As a first step every American family will celebrate today, the Friday of Thanksgiving weekend, by eating a delicious feast of fish heads. If you don't have a recipe for fish heads try this one from chinesefood-recipes.com.

Fish-head, tofu and mushrooms

Ingredients :

* 1 big fish head
* 2 slabs tofu
* 151g mushrooms
* 19g vermicelli
* 151g lean pork
* Napa cabbage (as desired; approximately 2 cups).

Directions:

1. Chop big fish head (salmon, tuna, or carp preferred) into 4 to 6 chunks, remove gills. Wash and set aside.

2. Wash lean pork and tofu. Dice or cut into slices. Cut Napa cabbage into shreds. Soak vermicelli till soft. Slit open the sides of mushrooms.

3. Sauté 2 slices of ginger with oil on wok. Put in fish head to fry until slightly browned. Add in appropriate amount of water right away. Boil at high heat for 10 minutes.

4. Add in tofu, mushrooms, vermicelli, lean pork, and Napa cabbage and boil for 10 minutes. Add salt to taste.


Mmmm. Finger-lickin' good.

3 comments:

Menchuvian Candidate said...

Thank you. The taste of banana-cream-pie-for-breakfast still on my tongue, and you have the "Fish heads, fish heads, roly-poly fish heads. Fish heads, fish heads, eat them up-yumm!" on endless loop in my head:)

Tillerman said...

FWIW visitor #115,000 to Proper Course dropped in today at 10:44 am from Baltimore Maryland by way of a link from Messing About in Sailboats. He or she stayed here for 9 minutes and 49 seconds, looked at 4 pages, and then left via my link to the NPR page about 'The Cremation of Sam Mcgee'. Sitemeter did not record whether any fish heads were consumed.

Anonymous said...

Imagine the good luck of the Mayflower settlers to meet Squanto, and that he spoke perfect (or near-perfect) English. A fact overlooked (or under-explored) in many history books.

(this idea learned from Made In America, by Bill Bryson)

Post a Comment