~Sheep Head~ Good Recipes?

[waterdog]

OK this post may get a lot of grief......but serously... anyone have a good way to eat these fish?

I have heard two ways to do it; 1.) Smoked or 2.) Cut in strips, boiled and diped in shimp sauce.

I have caught a lot of sheep head this year!

[episnoza]

My wifes uncle swears that its the best fish he has ever had. He always says to cut the fillets high on the back, batter, and deep fry like any other fish. Never actually tried it myself. If you do let me know.

[penalty box]

My friend told me about the strip of meat high on the back, then boil and eat with cocktail sauce, I have never tried it, my friend calls it poor mans lobster. I think some one should try it and lets us know.

[airshot]

Actually they are quite good, that is from experience...the problem is that sheepshead do not freeze well at all. They must be eaten fresh. The meat high on the back is the prime meat, cook it anyway you would normally just do it right away. people try to keep them for a period of time and that is where the problem lies.

Airshot

[Eyezcrazy]

Skin the fish and nail it to a board made from fruit wood, apple works well, season the fish with salt pepper and lemon, place in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Remove the fish from the board, throw away the fish and eat the board.

Sorry, I couldn't resist. I can't wait to see some of the recipes for sheephead.

[FredT]

penalty box, the way you catch the 'eyes, there is no reason for you to entertain such thoughts!

[Don Slater]

40 years ago when I moved to Ohio, I went fishing with my uncle at battery park in Sandusky when the pier was owned by Chessie System. We caught several nice drum but I was told they were "trashfish" and we threw them back.

They looked so meaty I called the marine section at Ohio U in Columbus and asked about them. The expert on the other end of the phone told me they
were a large scaled freshwater fish and as such the bad taste came from
dying bacteria and enzimes in the sliver lining of the skin.

He advised puting the fish on ice immediaytely when caught and that when making fillets to remove ABSOLUTELY ALL OF THE SILVER FROM THE MEAT.
Some even remove the daker stripe down the center of the fillet but I've not found this necessary. 2-3 pounders are the best IMHO.

Cut the FRESH fillets into 1" x 2" chunks and deep fry in canola oil using a
factory packaged batter called FRY CRISP. Mix the batter properly, not being too thick or too thin. EXCELLENT EATING!!!!!!

Deep fry some calliflower or egg plant using the same batter. Or make some
home fries.

It irks the hell out of me to see fishermen stab the drums with a knife and throw them back. Pure ignorance!!

Deep fried drum? Try it. I guarantee you will like it when properly prepared.
Drum from cold water and feeding on the zebra mussels have a rather sweet flavor. Go figure?

[tinkertoy]

Sheephead MUST be put on ice the minute you get them, no NOT even in a live well. And like the other guys said only the prime top part. Medium to smaller size is best. you will be suprised how good they are.

[Gettin Jiggy]

Just for the heck of it about three weeks ago we were perch fishing and cought some sheep, white bass, and white perch, as you alwayse do perchin. We kept all three and smoked them when we got back to camp. We didnt brine them or anything, straight smoke flaver. Byfar the sheep head was the best tasting out of the three. I think soaking the sheep in salt brine over night it would be even better.

[PCperchhunter]

Dad and I tried sheephead years ago. The boil-n-butter method. It tasted fine. I'm not inclined to keep them because we have enough walleye and perch put away. But for a lark, yeah, they work. Plenty of them out there and they're not in high demand for table fare, so be generous in trimming them thoroughly. The immediate icing (and probably bleeding them, too) are both good ideas.