April Vokey

For the last two months, we’ve talked about ways to eat every part of a fish—except the fillets. We’ve been through cheeks, collars, brains, whole heads, eyes, throats and tongues; hearts, intestines, stomachs, esophagi, air bladders, visceral fat, and livers; eggs, milt, spinal cords, spleens, and...

In this final installment of “Nostril to Caudal,” I’m tackling the exterior of a fish—specifically the skin, fins, scales, and slime. Unlike offal, most people aren’t grossed out by the thought of eating animal skin. Pork cracklins and crispy fried chicken are delicacies in many countries, and fish...

I carried a spoon in my wader pocket when I used to guide for salmon on the Fraser River. As guests dragged their fish onto the bank, I would rip the fish’s gills, then pull out its organs before the sun could coagulate them into a hotpot of sludge. One thing that always confused me, however, was...

Casual anglers might struggle to gather sufficient organs for all the different preparations I’m covering in this series. My intention, really, is to show you that these organs are edible and encourage you to sample a few. If you find that you really like particular bits, you can do what I’ve done...