Free fish heads for Flaxmere

Fish heads are the food of chiefs – the cheeks, the ‘wings’, and the flesh above the eyes and nose especially - and yet hundreds of tonnes of fish heads and frames are buried in our landfill every year.

According to Kiwi chef Peter Gordon, “New Zealander’s  . . . think of a fish head as cheap food, but in many cultures it is the best part of the fish”.

Flaxmere is about to benefit with free fish heads and frames being dished out to community weekly through the Kai Ika project, brought to Flaxmere by Sustainable HB – Centre for Climate and Resilience.

Started in Auckland in 2016, now running in Wellington and about to arrive in Hawke’s Bay, the project aims to keep what is a valuable food resource out of landfill, and provide communities with protein they might otherwise not have access to.

In Hawke’s Bay, the supply of heads and frames from fish processors is being organised by the Kai Ika team with Legasea NZ and in partnership, with Sustainable Hawke’s Bay running the logistics – picking up the fish, getting it to Flaxmere, and giving it out to residents.

As this issue went to print, Sustainable HB was organising a delivery venue (more information will be on the myflaxmere and Sustainable HB Facebook pages as soon as it’s available). CEO Chief Wayfinder Emma Horgan said the Flaxmere process would copy the Auckland model – essentially a drive-through. “Everyone brings their own vessel, usually a bucket or container, and they stay in their car. As they drive through, our team fills the bucket with heads and frames. It’s very simple, and it means we get the fish away quickly so it stays organised and the fish stays fresh and people can get it into their fridges at home as soon as possible.”

Sustainable HB has been investigating food projects for Flaxmere since the suburb’s only supermarket closed in March. The first trial was seasonable vegetable boxes, however that recently ceased through lack of pick-up. “It’s been successful elsewhere and it was certainly worth trialling,” said Mrs Horgan.

“But I think for our residents the cost of the boxes (despite being 30 per cent cheaper than the equivalent from supermarkets), that some of our families weren’t sure what to do with some of the produce, and a lack of certainty around what would be in the box each week, were barriers.

“We will keep going; if you never try anything, you will never succeed. From our environment focus, we want to see what we can do to help people access food, and keep usable food out of the waste stream.”

To help achieve that, the Sustainable HB team is calling for contacts in horticulture, which might have usable food that could be picked by volunteers and then be shared with the community, rather than sent to landfill. “Our friends at Nourished for Nil look after spare food from the retail side of things, so we think our efforts are best aimed at industry. That we’re each targeting different areas. Send your info to info@Sustainablehb.org.nz with ‘food projects’ in the subject line.

What should I do with my fish heads?

Popular in Māori, Pasifika and Asian cooking, there are umpteen ways to use your fish heads and frames, from making stock for soup, stews and risottos or smoking them for fish cakes or fish pies, to whipping up a fish head curry.

Here’s a recipe to try:

Fish stock

Just like all marine ecosystems rely on a productive sea floor, many recipes rely on a flavourful base stock. This high-octane fish stock can be used as a platform to create a variety of delicious dishes.

Recipe by: Dallas Abel – Kai Ika Project Coordinator Serves: 2L of stock Difficulty: 1/5 Prep time: 20 min  Cook time: 2 hours  Part of fish: All fish offcuts.

Ingredients:

·       2kg of fish heads, wings, frames, skin and pin bones

·       2 brown onions, quartered

·       3 Bay leaves

·       A handful of parsley

·       1 bunch of thyme

·       1 tsp of peppercorns (If you have them – colour doesn’t matter)

·       1L of water

·       Add the following if you have them laying around:

o    Couple stalks of celery

o    A few carrots

o    1 leek

o    1 lemon

1.      Place your washed fish parts in a large pot with all other ingredients and water. It’s important not to ‘drown’ the boil up with too much water.

2.      Place the pot on a medium to high heat and bring to the boil. Once it starts boiling, turn the heat down to a medium to low heat.

3.      Gently let the contents simmer for 30 minutes. Some people prefer not to disturb the fish bones. We don’t agree! With a wooden spoon, potato masher or another weapon of your choosing, bash the contents of the pot, paying particular attention to the fish. This releases the flavour and protein from the skin, bones and tissue, giving your stock a full-bodied depth of flavour.

4.      Give your stock another 1 hour on the stove. Once you have removed it from the heat, let it sit for ten minutes before straining.

5.      Allow the stock to cool before transferring to the fridge or freezing.

Note

• The stock will keep for at least a week in the fridge but it’s best to freeze it if not used immediately.

Send your favourite recipe using fish heads and/or frames to the Flaxmere Planning Committee for sharing: joycecomms@outlook.com