burbot

[kinwahkly]

How do you clean a burbot? do you skin them?is this the same as a ling cod?

Here is one method

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showp...4&postcount=21

From this thread

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=23626

[Reeves1]

http://www.fishalaskamagazine.com/ar.../burbot302.htm
Above link has info.

I've tried many way to skin them, but the way I like best , is to keep it simple.
I use my filet knife to cut a line around behind the head. You will notice it has two skin layers. The second one is white. I also cut with care, trying not to cut into the meat.
I then hold it by the bottom lip (those with dainty soft hands can use a rag).
I then use a cheap set of pliers and pull the skin down towards the tail, from each side a bit at a time. Takes no time at all to do, and is easy.
I then cut the meat off by following the bones right around.
Belly meat is saved and used to make several kind of fish soup/stew.

[slingshotz]

What I do is not gut them first, I find it's a lot easier to skin them. Cut through the skin all around the head, grab a pair of pliers and get a firm hold of the skin on the top of the head. Hold the head (a good friend helps , or nail the head to a board), then pull off the skin like you would pulling off a sock.

They are easy to fillet, from the anus down to the tail it's one nice clean fillet like you would with other fish. The loin piece from the head to the anus is pretty easy to cut out, just cut down from the top of the fish to the spine, go across to the pin bones and out the side. Then you are left with the belly meat which is pretty easy to remove leaving the pin bones attached to the thick rib cage bones.

Save the big light colored beige liver, it's really tasty! Cook it up like you would foie gras.

[Reeves1]

Save the big light colored beige liver, it's really tasty!

Better do some research on that.....Pike liver is one of the few (fairly) safe to eat.

Originally Posted by Reeves

Better do some research on that.....Pike liver is one of the few (fairly) safe to eat.

Won't hurt ya..just not doing a bunch for ya

" The flesh is said to be good, especially the liver when fried, but it is indigestible."

http://home.casema.nl/b.zoetemeyer/burbot.htm

"Burbot are valued as being high quality food among humans. In some places,
like Scandinavia, burbot liver is served as a delicacy and an excellent source of
fish oil. For first nations in the East Kootenay Region the burbot has both
historical and cultural importance."

http://www.wildsight.ca/files/Where%...e%EF%80%A5.pdf



and to me....ANY liver will kill a person LOL

[slingshotz]

Burbut liver is a delicacy in many parts of the world. Ever heard of cod liver oil? Well the burbot is the only fresh water cod around. I've eaten lots of burbot livers and they are good, to me they taste like a big glob of tasty fish fat (although that description might turn people off instead lol). The other delicacy is the roe, it's considered on par with caviar in places like Russia and Scandinavia. I'm looking forward to hopefully catching some before they spawn as I've never tasted them before. And that note about the liver being indigestible was from the 1880s. But to each their own, I know the sperm sacs are edible and are highly prized in Japan but I personally can't bring myself to eat them.

I never knew about pike livers being edible, I'll have to make a note of that the next time I gut a pike.

Tidbit about the liver:
The result of the assay was that the liver of the burbot is 3-4 times more potent in vitamin D, and 4–10 times more potent in vitamin A than “good grades” of cod liver oil. The vitamin content varies in Burbot from lake to lake, where their diet may have some variation. Additionally, the burbot liver makes up approximately 10% of the fish's total body weight, and their liver is six times larger than freshwater fish of comparable size. Ted also found in his research that the oil is lower in viscosity, and more rapidly digested and assimilated than most other fish liver oils. Ted went on to found the Burbot Liver Products Company which later became Rowell Laboratories, Inc., of Baudette, Minnesota, and is today a subsidiary of Solvay Pharmaceuticals of Brussels, Belgium.

Burbot Roe:
Some gourmets regard burbot caviar as a delicacy outranking Beluga caviar in taste and flavour, at a fraction of the price. Mostly it will cost around £800 per 100g of pure caviar.

Hopefully this news doesn't get accepted widespread in Canada, burbot populations got decimated in Europe and Russia because of these qualities. I have a friend who's fishing buddies in Russia are so jealous of us being about to catch a few burbot to eat all within a few hours of driving/fishing time. I'm fine with people thinking they are trash fish as long as they release them back in the water for me

[BBJTKLE&FISHINGADVENTURES]

Originally Posted by kinwahkly

How do you clean a burbot? do you skin them?is this the same as a ling cod?

Found this for you .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6nJrc3B0AU

I also know of people nailing them by the by to a tree or plank of wood.
Cut around the head , and with pliars pulling the skin off then cutting the fillets of the back. Very much like cutting the back straps off a deer.Getting the fillets when the fish isnt frozen or cold makes it much easyer.

[bunnyhunter]

Originally Posted by slingshotz

Burbut liver is a delicacy in many parts of the world. Ever heard of cod liver oil? Well the burbot is the only fresh water cod around. I've eaten lots of burbot livers and they are good, to me they taste like a big glob of tasty fish fat (although that description might turn people off instead lol).

when i lived in Newfoundland, we ate fresh cod liver....my husband doesnt like them, but I enjoy fatty fish...I'll try burb liver! and now pike I will give that a try too. I think because burbot are members of the cod family, all parts are edible.

I once made caviar out of pike roe ...only to read its mildly poisonous
sure looked pretty.

jenn

[slingshotz]

How did you prepare the roe? I've been trying to figure out how you prepare the raw burbot roe. I'm finding different articles that you have to freeze it and then salt it but nothing is too descriptive.

Obviously the pike roe couldn't have been that poisonous or you wouldn't still be on the forums

[bunnyhunter]

Originally Posted by slingshotz

How did you prepare the roe? I've been trying to figure out how you prepare the raw burbot roe. I'm finding different articles that you have to freeze it and then salt it but nothing is too descriptive.

Obviously the pike roe couldn't have been that poisonous or you wouldn't still be on the forums

lol yeah I did eat some...still here....I read about it threw the rest out, didnt get sick or anything so who knows.

I have an old book , tells you how to make caviar
its just called "smoking salmon and trout" by Jack Whelan. but has a ton of other stuff, caviar, pickles,salting, kippers, indian candy...applies to all sorts of fish etc. I have heard whitefish make fantastic caviar.

you basically brine the roe for a short time, dry it a bit...the book is great ...I should catch some fat, eggy burbots and experiment this year!!!!

will post if i can get a good result
jenn

[jeprli]

It is important to use natural salt, non iodized,without additives and coarse("sifto" pickling salt is pretty good). It is the purest you can find at a store, table salt is very unreliable and most of the time contaminated with other minerals. An easy test to see how pure the salt is, is to dilute one tablespoon of salt into one cup of cold water, pure salt will not stain water at all(you'll be surprised to see how much sediment is in your regular table salt, poor kidneys).

You do not have to freeze the roe, just keep it on ice(cover with shaved ice) to keep fresh and to make it firm that way it won't be melting down or drying out and losing tasty juice.

Don't put too much salt either, as it will ruin the taste, 2% of the mass of roe will do the trick.

[slingshotz]

Thanks for the tips, I only ever use sea salt, the iodized stuff is nasty. The best stuff I find is Maldon sea salt but it's expensive. When I lived in the UK, I should have brought back a case of it heh.

The last burbot I caught was two months ago so the roe didn't seem fully developed yet and there was a membrane holding it all together that was a bit difficult to remove. Whats the easiest way to remove the roe or do they come off easy when ripe?

[bunnyhunter]

since they breed in feb/march...the eggs would be very underripe....the riper the eggs, the better the caviar, and you also need to use fresh eggs not frozen.

they should pop out when ripe, if not you can slit the egg sac open and gently rub with your hands in cold water, they should come loose. most fish eggs i have done are like that....I am assuming burbots are similar. But I know cod roe is not used for caviar as the eggs are too tiny, they often salt/smoke them and make pate. I dont know what burb roe sacs look like.

Jenn

[BBJTKLE&FISHINGADVENTURES]

Originally Posted by bunnyhunter

since they breed in feb/march...the eggs would be very underripe....the riper the eggs, the better the caviar, and you also need to use fresh eggs not frozen.

they should pop out when ripe, if not you can slit the egg sac open and gently rub with your hands in cold water, they should come loose. most fish eggs i have done are like that....I am assuming burbots are similar. But I know cod roe is not used for caviar as the eggs are too tiny, they often salt/smoke them and make pate. I dont know what burb roe sacs look like.

Jenn

If you watch this video it shows them infact the guy saved them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6nJrc3B0AU

[Izumi]

This is a great video on how to skin Burbot:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMdD8egU_ac

[Justanotherbuck2]

Great link to skinning, and filleting a burbot,simple method of cooking too. thanks Isumi.