walleye cheeks?

[Jimmer]

have a friend who told me a fishing buddy of his says the cheek meat from walleyes is the best eating?
:confused:
never heard of such a thing myself, but my buddy called me last night after cleaning a mess of fish and said he did get two chicken nugget sized pieces of meat out of the cheek area.
No word back yet on how it tasted.....
Anyone else eat the cheeks?
:help:

[Rencoho]

They are excellent!!! Don't take my word though, definitely give them a try,and I think you'll agree. We usually save them up then have a big ckeek fry, the texture is just a little chewy not unlike clams.

[MSUICEMAN]

best part if you ask me, fry em up with just some salt and yummy!

[thedude]

yup - they're pretty good.
kinda hard to get out of the smaller fish though - need to be around 20" or more.

[booktens]

Excellent, Kinda like scallops.

[Crooked Dave]

Very similar texture to a Scallop....and yes they are very good. Tight Lines

[Jimmer]

interesting....guess I'll ave to give em a shot sometime. If I do like em, it'll make me pissed I have wasted so many over the years.
:lol:

[kbkrause]

Excellent, quite a bit different than the rest of the meat. Little seasoned flour fried up in butter, yum.

[gman]

the cheeks are hidden til last at our fish frys, makes me hungry, hope it warms up a little for a trip to the river this weekend. Long John Silvers has no walleye cheeks on the menu.

[duckman#1]

My buddy takes the cheeks out of many species, Salmon, Walleye, he swears their great! I will have to try them....

[Hotwired]

I have 200 in the freezer right now.
That will make 4 nice pots of cheek chowder this winter...YUM.

[kbkrause]

cheek chowder...YUM.

Recipe please

[chamookman]

Man, I was salivating while reading this :corkysm55 ! BEST piece of meat on a Walleye. Please post the chowder recipe, sounds GOOD :yikes: . Bob

[Wallywalleye]

I keep filling a pint ziploc bag, freeze them, and keep adding till I get a lb.,than add water and freeze solid. Can't beat chowder from a lb. of cheeks & a half lb. of shrimp. Also saute onion with cheeks, add jar of alfredo sauce, thin pasta & a great meal from something most people throw out. When I was in Alaska, I would go to the marina when the boats came in & ask the fishermen if they wanted their cheeks. I averaged 2-3 lb's per evening of ling cod & halibut cheeks. Vacuumed packed & shipped home they were fantastic. Waste not want not (old saying) Walt

[Jimmer]

after some surfing on the net...turns out these prized chunks of walleye flesh are in fact a delicacy.

:yikes:
In fact, they are served as appetizers in some really expensive gourmet restaurants. The things you learn everyday......
:grouphug:

[Sailor]

Almost as good as Whitefish livers!

[trouttime]

Recipe please
:yeahthat:
Love the cheeks, never thought of a chowder though sounds great!

[Hotwired]

Hotwired's Walleye Cheek Chowder

1/2 cup chopped onions
2 1/2 cups diced potatoes
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots - thin
2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1 cup light cream
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 slices bacon
1 lb of walleye cheeks (cut smaller if desired)

* Fry bacon & keep drippings
* Cook potatoes, carrots & celery in 2-3 cups of water until almost tender
* Cook onions in bacon drippings
* Add onions, cheeks & crumbled bacon to vegetables and water and simmer
10 minutes, add salt & pepper
* Stir in milk & cream
* Bring back to simmer for 30 minutes stirring occasionaly

If you want more liquid add half and half
If you want it thicker do the gravy corn starch trick

[sfw1960]

after some surfing on the net...turns out these prized chunks of walleye flesh are in fact a delicacy.


REEEEEEEEEEAALLY??
:lol:

I VaC PaK everyone into a seperate bag... ask Waterfoul , when I gave him his fillets from a recent trip.... a few hunks of meat weren't in his VaC PaK!!
:corkysm55
LOL
:evilsmile

Robert , the Perca subspecies slasher....

[trouttime]

Hotwired's Walleye Cheek Chowder

1/2 cup chopped onions
2 1/2 cups diced potatoes
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots - thin
2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1 cup light cream
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 slices bacon
1 lb of walleye cheeks (cut smaller if desired)

* Fry bacon & keep drippings
* Cook potatoes, carrots & celery in 2-3 cups of water until almost tender
* Cook onions in bacon drippings
* Add onions, cheeks & crumbled bacon to vegetables and water and simmer
10 minutes, add salt & pepper
* Stir in milk & cream
* Bring back to simmer for 30 minutes stirring occasionaly

If you want more liquid add half and half
If you want it thicker do the gravy corn starch trick

Many Thank you's!! This will be on the New Years menu :corkysm55

[chamookman]

:yeahthat: - Thanks HotWired - Bob

[steelslam]

man, i thought i was the only one that made walleye/salmon cheek chowder. ill say its the best for a cold winter day an alot better than a good bowl of chilly.

[TheApprentice]

The real question is will one of you fine fisherman be willing to take me out on your next walleye outing and put me on some nice eyes? I was laughing reading this thread, because I don't see how anyone could catch enough walleye to make it worth eating the cheeks. It would be funny for me because in all of my 26 years, I would still only have about 10 cheecks in the freezer. If I have to wait another 26 I'm afraid I may never get to try them.

[hootbob]

;) ;) ;)
You bet ,as a kid growing up in N Minn. we fished RED LAKE. Stayed there for a week every spring. My job at 8-14 years old was to take each head and using a spoon pop out the cheeks . The last night there was cheek night .
They were the size of a 25 cent peice to a nickle in size . YUM

HOOTBOB :SHOCKED:
Steve W

[Houghton laker]

I have 200 in the freezer right now.
That will make 4 nice pots of cheek chowder this winter...YUM.
along with a platter of my perch....that could be one tastey meal!!!! :lol: :lol: ;)