Halibut Collar

Yesterday I mentioned that we used halibut in our fiddlehead gumbo.  We used halibut collar to be exact, my favorite part of the fish.  Unfortunately, the only thing glamorous about the collar is the flavor.  It can be a mess to pick through and awkward to serve but I am more than happy to look past all of that to get to the moistest, most succulent and most flavorful meat the fish has to offer.  If you can find a fish monger that still breaks down his own fish, you should ask them to save you a collar (any fish will do).  I think it is easiest and best to braise the collar but it can also be roasted.  If you braise or stew it you get a two-for-one because of all the collagen, fine bone structure and flesh turns the broth into liquid gold.  And like any "chef cut," it is most likely dirt cheap.  Dirt cheap and able to feed a large family, a win-win situation.  Wait.  Dirt cheap, able to feed a large family AND the most flavorful part of the fish, that's a win-win-win in my book...