Lunkers Only

Chef Llamaduke’s Hot & Sour Fish Head Soup-- Cabezon-x-Ling

Step 1. Catch the fish. Lunkers only, duh. The bigger the head, the better the soup.

Step 2. Veggie soup base. I used carrots, onion, celery (can I get a oui?), ginger, and garlic, then tomatoes later on. Sweat it like a Carolina summer, with ample olive oil. Then let it brown while you and the heads go to town.

Step 3. Prep the heads. Rinse well, cut in half lengthwise with kitchen shears, chef’s knife, bone saw, or whatever else you have on hand. This is where you earn your keep-- it ain’t easy. Remove the nasty bits. Cut out the gills.

Step 4. I BBQ’d the heads and collars for a few mins to lock in that Lunkers Only flavor. Optional. Just do it.

Step 5. From base to soup... add water to achieve necessary volume-- you’ll want all the head bits to just be covered when you add them. For seasoning, I used lemon pepper, smoked paprika, and cayenne, then switched to liquids with sriracha, tamari, and heaps of rice wine vinegar for the tangy tang tang. Don’t measure anything, it ruins it. Boil, then simmer while you drink a beer and take the dog for a walk.

Step 6. Add the fish heads and simmer for a few more minutes. Garnish with cilantro, green onion, and lemon wedges.