Burbot are a freshwater member of the cod family. They spawn under ice in Great Lakes tributaries or on inshore gravel bars at water temperature minima. Slit the skin immediately behind the gill opening. Anchor the head and grab a small tab of the skin with a pair of channel locks and pull, peeling the skin off in one continuous piece. Fillet the meat off the spine to the tail as you normally would. Insert the tip of your fillet knife adjacent the spine and make a downward cut until the blade contacts the rib cage, then angle the blade along the ribs to completely remove the fillet sections on the ribs of the fish carcass.Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil in a stock pan at medium heat, then add in sequence
2 tablespoons olive oil in a stock pan at medium heat, then add in sequence
- 1 fennel bulb (large, thinly sliced)
- 1 onion (large, diced not chopped)
- 6 cloves garlic (crushed with the flat of the blade and then sliced)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon dried tarragon (2 tablespoon fresh tarragon)
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 pinch saffron ( pricey, so if you have none in your spice cabinet, omit it)
- 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (If you like less spice 1/2tsp)
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons ground sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups vermouth
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes
- 32 ounces seafood stock (I use a mix of commercial clam juice and stock I make from boiling down peeled shrimp carapaces in water whenever I cook shrimp)
- 1lb little neck clams
- 1lb of mussels
- 1 pound burbot, pike, commercial cod, catfhish or pollock
- 1 pound shrimp (large raw, peeled)
- flour to thicken
- Italian flat leaf parsley- 1/2c added minutes prior serving