This delicious Fish Head Curried in Turmeric- Kari Safran Latet Pwason-combines the various textures of the fish head and the medicinal qualities of the turmeric making a dish that is wholesome and nutritious.
Like most Seychellois, I grew up eating fish almost every day and I love my fish as well as my fish heads, especially the head of the larger fish. The Seychellois, traditionally, do not fillet their fish that are always cooked on the bone. The head is never thrown away except the shark head; there again, only after the skin has been removed, to be dried, known as lapo latet rekin. I will soon post a few dishes that are made of dried salted shark head skin. The small fish heads are usually not cooked separately, but cooked together with the rest of the fish, contrary to the large fish heads that are at times cooked as a meal, as is the case in this recipe.
This dish requires the head of a large fish and the red snapper –bourzwa- or the trevally-karang– are the ideal fish for this curry.
I like Fish Heads!
The Seychellois do not waste their fish. Eating fish head is still totally normal for us. In fact it is, to me, probably the best part of the fish in that offers a variety of textural experiences from the gelatinous bits to the delicate cheek meat, and the slightly crunchy eyeballs! Many people miss out on the joys of fish heads, preferring to eat only clean, boneless fillets. There is a lot of good meat found in the fish’s head which has more flavour than any other part of any fish; flavour like you wouldn’t believe!
The different texture of the fish head.
As mentioned already, fish heads can be the tastiest part of the fish and they figure prominently in the Seychellois Creole cuisine as well in many Asian cuisines. In some countries it is standard to remove and discard fish heads. They can make some people really squeamish!
If you have never eaten fish heads before, in order for you to appreciate the different texture let us take a quick look at various parts of a large fish head, including the cheeks, fish eyes, fish collar and the cartilage in the head:
The Cheeks
Fish cheeks are not that unusual to eat. On bigger fish, the cheeks are substantial pieces of meat. Traditionally, in Seychelles, the meat is never removed from the cheeks but cooked with the head. The cheek meat is often denser and finer in texture than the rest of the fish.
Fish eyes
The eyes offer a fatty-tasting pop! The trick to eating a fish eyeball is to hold it in your mouth for as long as possible to savour the gooey outer layer. Then bite into the crispy, wafer-like center and enjoy the rush of fatty fish flavour accompanied by a gelatinous, spongy texture. Swallow too quickly and you’ll miss the nuances. Keep on reading….
The collar
Perhaps the most famous part of the fish’s head is the collar. The collar is the succulent, tender and flavourful wedge that exists in the space between the pectoral fins and the gill cover.
The cartilage
Most heads contain a sizeable section of the most delicious cartilage in existence in the greater animal kingdom. Some of the cartilage are in fact soft enough to be eaten.
The other bits..
Other parts of the fish head that contributes to the complexity of texture are the lips that offer a gelatinous mouth feel; the brain which is soft and buttery; the delicious fat and the gelatine in the soft bones. There is also quite a bit of soft meat perched on top of the forehead as well as extra-tender meat along the jawbones.
As you can now appreciate, the meat structure of the fish head greatly assists in the meat absorbing the flavours of the curry that it is cooked in, hence making the fish head, preferably head of large snappers, much sought after when cooked in curry.
Health benefits of fish heads
Eating fish head has beneficial effects on your body. Remember, the head is just another part of the body of the fish. It is a great source of protein that’s healthier than red meat. The head has a higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids, a nutrient that will keep your brain and heart healthy. Besides the fish skin, the head is richer in fat than other parts of the fish. Fish bones, brains, cartilage, and fat are nutritious, containing extra-high levels of vitamin A, omega-3 fatty acids, iron, zinc and calcium
Fish eyes, contain a rich quantity of DHA and EPA fatty acids (omega 3 fats) which are very rare unsaturated fatty acids. The most beneficial property of these natural substances is their ability to stimulate human brain cells, improving memory and thinking power.
How do I eat my fish head?
I take my time to pick at the soft meat, chew the brittle bone, sip the oozy fat, suck at the eye balls! I do not rush the process because there is nothing worse than being chocked by a fish bone! I usually start from the jaw and I pry off each bone that I can reach and then progress to the cheeks. When I find a bit of flesh that looks appetizing, especially the gelatinous parts, I suck it off the bone. I then pick at any bits I have left in my plate. I always ensure that I have a small bowl or plate nearby in which to place the ‘polished’ bones.
Preparing the fish heads
This procedure below is for a large fish head. Small fish heads do not have to be cut into smaller pieces.
To prepare the head and collars of a large fish, it needs to be void of scales and gills. Scrape off the scales by means of a sharp knife or a fish scaler and use the same knife to remove the gills. The scales are almost everywhere , including the top of the head, the cheeks, the collars and the gill covers. Then rinse under running water to remove as much blood away as you can from the tissue.
In the next step separate the two collars from the rest of the head and thoroughly rinse them and pat dry. Divide the remainder of the head into cookable portions. You will require a solid work bench to perform this next step. Divide it into two halves along the lateral axis, and then cut each half into smaller parts. Use a heavy kitchen cleaver to divide the hard pieces of mass and a sharp knife for the softer tissue. Once divided, rinse under running water, drain and keep.
If you are buying your fish heads from a professional fish monger, they usually have band saws to divide the portions. Ask them to portion your head. It will save you performing quite a messy excercise. Please note however, that removing scales from bite size pieces can be quite difficult.
LUFFA-PIPANGAY
The second main ingredient in this curry, after the fish head, is the luffa- pipangay. (luffa acutangula). The luffa is the fruit of an annual creeper and there exists two types in the Seychelles. One is smooth-skinned, and the other has ten lateral, sharply acute ribs on the skin called the angled luffa or ridge gourd, and for the sake of simplicity we will call it luffa.
Both have a spongy, fibrous flesh that has a bland, faintly sweet and bitter taste. When the fruit is fully ripened it is very fibrous and cannot be eaten. It is the source of the loofah scrubbing sponge which is used in bathrooms and kitchens.
Although we have chosen the ridge luffa for this recipe, both types can be used, as the flavour and texture is the same. They both impart a mildly bitter-sweetish taste and the slightly spongy texture to the dish.
Always choose young, firm one that is no more than 45 cm. in length with unblemished skin. Before cooking, the ribs and skin must be removed with a knife, as shown in the picture above. The skin is not eaten in Seychelles although in Mauritius they do make a chutney with it. They call it ‘Chatini Peau de Pipangaille’.
THE BILIMBI-BELENBI
Another essential ingredient that is added to this curry is the bilimbi. It imparts a slight sour taste to the dish creating an explosion of flavours and texture. Furthermore, it pairs well with fish. If you do not have access to bilimbi, a squeeze of half a lime is a good alternative.
Cooking the curry
Wash the luffa and cut off the ends. Use a sharp small knife and peel off all the skin, as shown in the photo above. Wash and cut into cubes of about 4cm thick.
Wash bilimbi and slice into rondels .If you cannot access fresh bilimbi you can buy frozen ones from Asian shops. If you cannot access bilimbi at all, a tablespoon of lemon juice is a good alternative.
Heat oil in a medium size pot and sweat onion, then add garlic and ginger. Add turmeric powder, mix well and let fry for a few seconds and then add the water , followed by the fish heads, cubed loffa, chopped parsley and thyme. Do not fry off your turmeric for too long as it will turn bitter.
Once the pot starts to boil, turn heat to simmer for about 25 minutes. Avoid stirring the curry but give your pot a quick shake every now and then
This is a very mild curry with no heat( chilli). Should you wish to make your curry hotter you can add one or two goat chilli.
Serving the Fish head curry
This Fish Head Curried in Turmeric- Kari Safran Latet Pwason- is ideally served with plain boiled rice and green pawpaw chutney and accompanied with a vegetable asar. The rice will fully absorb the juice and collagen released from the bones, and the turmeric brightens up the mildly sweet flesh without overpowering the delicate flavors.
Here is the recipe for Fish Head Curried in Turmeric- Kari Safran Latet Pwason
This delicious Fish Head Curried in Turmeric- Kari Safran Latet Pwason-combines the various textures of the fish head and the medicinal qualities of the turmeric making a dish that is wholesome and nutritious.
- 1 medium to large fish head- red snapper, any snapper or Trevally
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 medium size young luffa (Pipangay) (note 1)
- 4 green bilimbi, washed or 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 ripe tomato- chopped
- 2 tsp crushed garlic
- 2 tsp crushed ginger
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 200 ml water
- 2 twigs thyme
- 2 twigs parsley- chopped
- salt and cracked pepper
-
Take your time and scrape off the scales by means of a sharp knife or a fish scaler. The scales are almost everywhere , including the top of the head, the cheeks, the collars, the gill covers.
-
Use the same knife to remove the gills.
-
Rinse and wash away as much blood away from the tissue as you can.
-
You will require a solid work bench to perform this next step.
-
Separate the two collars from the rest of the head and thoroughly rinse them and pat dry.
-
Use a cleaver or a heavy knife, divide the remainder of the head into manageable portions. Divide the head into halves along the lateral axis, and then cut each half into smaller parts.
-
Rinse under running water, drain and keep
-
Wash the ridge gourd and cut off the ends. Use a sharp small knife and peel off all the ribbed skin. Wash and cut into cubes of about 4cm.
-
Wash bilimbi and slice into rondels .If you cannot access fresh bilimbi you can buy frozen ones from Asian shops. If you cannot access bilimbi at all, half a tablespoon of lemon juice is a good alternative.
-
Heat oil in a medium size pot and sweat onion, then add garlic and ginger.
-
Add the chopped tomato, turmeric powder, mix well and let fry for a few seconds and then add the water. Do not fry off your turmeric for too long as it will turn bitter.
-
Gently add the fish head, cubed luffa, chopped parsley and thyme.
-
Once the pot starts to boil, turn heat to simmer and cook for about 25 minutes. Avoid stirring the curry but give your pot a quick shake every now and then.
-
This Fish Head Curried in Turmeric- Kari Safran Latet Pwason- is ideally served with plain boiled rice and green pawpaw chutney and accompanied with a vegetable asar. The rice will fully absorb the juice and collagen released from the bones, and the turmeric brightens up the mildly sweet flesh without overpowering the delicate flavours.
You can use either the smooth-skinned luffa or the angled luffa or ridge gourd. The flavour and texture is the same and they both impart a mildly bitter-sweetish taste and the slightly spongy texture to the dish.
If you do not have access to bilimbi, one tablespoon of lemon juice is a good alternative.
This is a very mild curry with no heat( chilli). Should you wish to make your curry hotter you can add one or two goat chilli.
Did you make this recipe?
I hope you will enjoy cooking this dish. Please let me know how it turned out for you. If you have a different version of the recipe or have related questions, please leave your comments below.
LEAVE A COMMENT
Your email address will not be published
