It’s rare to see something as beautiful and authentic as a fish head in supermarket. Let alone 2, on a Sunday afternoon, and all for 70p.

It’s things like this that really make my heart sing, my scavenger-senses & my tummy very excited. It’s also things like this that can touch a nerve - the head of a thing is much of its identity, and therefore a direct and explicit reminder that what you're about to eat has died, was killed, and used to be alive and swimming (literally).

I don’t wish to sound cantankerous, more just open and frank about how there is something to be said and seen for how we understand and approach our meat and fish. Whether we like to think on it or not, these were & are living, breathing, feeling things. Please enjoy eating them, as I do, but please also acknowledge their value beyond flavour, because that’s what contributes to it, in my experience (and of course factually, when it comes to how they are raised).

Roast them whole, simply with a sprinkling of seasoning & lemon (literally, just like any other piece of salmon) - see how crisp the skin & gently complex the flavour develops in the flesh at the neck/base of the head – it’s really rich and meaty in there. I’ve showcased here the salmon cheek – monkfish or cod cheeks are delicacies in fancy restaurants, remember – so, look at this! And, next time you get a big enough whole fish to cook, remember to take the time, care and curiosity to seek what's ALL there...

Equally documented is what I like to call ‘the aftermath’: evidence of my efforts to get Every. Single. Last. Bit. It’s messy & immersive - a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon, and with that, an excuse to divulge into a wine pairing. Given the richer, slightly more mineral-y flavours of the head bits, a dry sprightly white wine e.g. a Picpoul, would be fortuitous. Prosecco is featured here, because A. it was on offer and B. I really, really like bubbles.