If you’re walking away from the fishmonger with a package of tidy little fillets this summer, you’re missing out on the best—and most grill-able—part of the fish. It’s the fish collar you want, the bony triangle of tender, fatty meat tucked between the fish’s gills and the rest of its body, a cheap throwaway cut that chefs all over the country going crazy for. “Collars are an easy win,” says Aaron London, chef of Bon Appétit Best New Restaurant 2015 AL’s Place in San Francisco, “It’s where you find all the fattiest, richest, most delicious meat on the fish.” Cooked gently over smoldering charcoal until the skin goes crisp, lacquered with a darkly sweet soy glaze, this is hands-on, finger-licking drinking food par excellence—the chicken wings of the sea. “This is definitely not a fork and knife scenario. You’re gonna get your hands dirty,” warns London, “and probably your cheeks as well.”
By and large, getting fish collars is going to be the hardest part—you’re definitely going to need to seek out a quality fishmonger, and calling in advance is a smart move. Basically, what you want is for them to take the head of a larger fish—think salmon or Hamachi—split it in half, then cut way everything from the gill plate to the mouth, leaving you with two vaguely “T” shaped chunks.
As far as seasoning is concerned, the possibilities are endless. “They’re delicious with just salt, pepper, and oil, but some version of a Japanese tare takes it to the next level,” says London. “If you start brushing that on your collar halfway through the cooking process, you end up with this delicious, sticky, yummy glaze that has a lot of umami to it. The sugar in the mirin gives it body.” All that said, London fully endorses both the high and the low when it comes to adorning the things: “I mean, I’d eat a f&8king fish collar with barbecue sauce man! I’ve never done that before, but it sounds f$58king good to me right now.”
And this sauce fits pretty perfectly on anything that resembles some yakitori, including grilled chicken wings and thighs. Brush some on after the fat has partially rendered for the same effect it has on these fish collars.
When it comes to cooking, collars are actually super forgiving—all that fatty, gelatinous goodness is going to prevent them from drying out. Whether you’re cooking in the oven or on the grill, you’re looking for low, sustained heat. “You want all of those little bits of meat to get a chance to cook, the bones to release their juiciness, and the skin to cook evenly,” explains London. To tell when they’re done, he advises sticking a metal fork or small knife in the thickest part of the collar, letting it sit for 20 seconds, and then touching it to your wrist or lip. “If your reaction is, “Damn that’s hot,” then it’s done,” London says. (FWIW, that’s some of the best advice any chef has ever given us.)
Fish collars: Coming soon to a BBQ near you.