# Scallops with a green chile sauce



## Recipes Make Magic (Sep 1, 2019)

*Scallops Vera Cruz with Cool Green Chile Sauce*


*(my version- this recipe is for 2 persons)*
*Ingredients:*


*- 10 -12 large jumbo sea scallops - rinsed under cold water and the small tough side muscle removed*


*Rub for the scallops*


*Mix these ingredients together: *


*- 1/2 tspn each of chili powder, paprika, & kosher salt*


*- 14 tspn each of cumin, oregano, ground black pepper*


*- Optionals -  1/4 tspn. of ancho chile powder, or chipotle powder, or both*



*For coating the scallops:*


*Finely grated zest and juice of 1/2 fresh lime - added to the above mixed rub*


*Oil the scallops very lightly with veg oil & coat them with the above rub mixture*



*Green Chile Sauce:*


*- 1 or 2 long Anaheim or Poblano chile peppers - ribs & seeds removed - and blackened under the oven broiler for a few minutes, turned once and removed .*


*When slightly cooled, scrape off and discard as much of the darkened skin as you can & roughly chop the remaining chile meat.*


*Add the chile meat to a small processor or blender, along with*


*- 2 roughly chopped scallions (root ends removed)*


*- 1  diced garlic clove*


*- 1/4 cup each of sour cream and mayonnaise*


*- Dash of sugar*


*- Salt & pepper to taste*


*- optional - small handful of cilantro leaves*


*Process in blender to make a slightly coarse sauce, but if it seems too thick,  add a little water, and adjust with any seasoning as you see fit.*


*A layer of this sauce is to be spooned over the bottom of a suitable sized plate, in which the fried scallops are then to be placed over for serving. *


*(I love this sauce - it's a great taste finish to compliment the scallops)*

*Saute the scallops in a lightly oiled skillet over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes each side to heat through to opaqueness & be nicely browned.*

*Add to the sauced plates& serve .*

*I haven't found a better tasting way to enjoy scallops.*


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## luckytrim (Sep 1, 2019)

..... would have loved a shot of that one !


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## Recipes Make Magic (Sep 1, 2019)

luckytrim said:


> ..... would have loved a shot of that one !


 
If you mean a photo of this dish, I'll cook it again soon & post pics. 
The sauce makes the dish stand out flavor-wise.


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## Silversage (Sep 1, 2019)

Just curious - why would you rinse scallops in cold water?


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## Recipes Make Magic (Sep 2, 2019)

Silversage said:


> Just curious - why would you rinse scallops in cold water?


 
Same reason many people rinse a variety of foods before using/cooking - to remove any odd material  picked up along the way - e.g. in the case of scallops, to rinse off any residual sliminess, or other matter which may have been picked up at the seafood processing plant, from in- store handling,  or to remove any odd grains of sand which may still be attached.
Just a precaution.


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## CraigC (Sep 2, 2019)

Maybe the scallops were wet packed and the liquid needed to be washed off, too bad the scallops are already ruined from that crap. When it comes to sea scallops, I won't purchase them unless they are dry packed. I really don't like flavors that mask the taste of the scallops. I really like crudo preparations for sea scallops and geoduck, with just a light citrus dressing.


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## Silversage (Sep 2, 2019)

Craig,  



I'm with you on the dry pack.  If there's any 'sliminess' I'd throw them out.  Fresh scallops should never be slimy.


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## Recipes Make Magic (Sep 2, 2019)

Silversage said:


> Craig,
> 
> 
> 
> I'm with you on the dry pack. If there's any 'sliminess' I'd throw them out. Fresh scallops should never be slimy.


 
My long-time fish market manager advised me that scallops should only be thrown out if they smell bad, that is, have a bad, strong fishy odor.

 Scallops can be a tad 'slimy' and still be perfectly good, he said, so some 'sliminess', if that's actually what it is, is not reason enough to toss them out.  If they otherwise smell clean, like the ocean, as you expect, then keep them.

He said that many people say scallops are slimy (including me, when I recently used that term, but should have more aptly said 'sticky') when they are in fact nothing more than sticky, or even slippery - which are the terms which should more often be used, rather than slimy.

He went on to point out that some stickiness is not uncommon in scallops, but they are still perfectly fresh & ok.


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## Silversage (Sep 3, 2019)

CraigC said:


> Ain't that the truth! Are you out of harms way? We're sitting right below the predicted path.



Thanks for asking.  I'm between Tampa and Sarasota, so we're clear this time.  You and Karen stay safe.  Are you going to hunker down or evacuate?


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## medtran49 (Sep 3, 2019)

Thanks, we stayed home.  Had hotel reservations as we are in a mandatory evac zone and also considered going over to Punta Gorda to DD's home.  But, yesterday when they started forecasting wind gusts of only 50ish with max sustained of 30ish and minimal storm surge, if any, we decided to stay put.  it has finally started moving again this morning so maybe it will go on its merry way and some help can get to those poor people in the Bahamas.


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## taxlady (Sep 3, 2019)

medtran49 said:


> Obviously prefer fresh, still in the shell diver scallops but don't come across those often.  Dry pack frozen are what we get most often.  BTW, those scallops in the seafood case have been defrosted unless they are labeled never frozen.  Won't buy wet pack for several reasons.  They have been treated to a bath of water and sodium tripolyphospate (something like that) that has been absorbed, so you are paying for water/chemicals that affect the ability to sear, as well as change taste and texture, and certainly not for the better.


Thanks. Montreal is far enough from the ocean that I don't want any seafood that isn't live or frozen. If it were never frozen, I doubt it would be very fresh. 

I got spoiled when I lived in Copenhagen. The fish monger I went to would run out of fresh fish (delivered by fishermen that morning) by 11 AM. At 6 AM, there was a line halfway around the block of fish mongers and chefs waiting to get the day's fresh seafood.


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## skilletlicker (Sep 3, 2019)

Hey Recipes Make Magic, On behalf of the hoi polloi, thanks for your posts and don't let 'em get you down.


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## GotGarlic (Sep 3, 2019)

taxlady said:


> Thanks. Montreal is far enough from the ocean that I don't want any seafood that isn't live or frozen. If it were never frozen, I doubt it would be very fresh.



Au contraire  A Google search shows me that it's about a six-hour drive from Bar Harbor, Maine. My local fishmonger sometimes gets scallops from somewhere about six hours north of here and they're fine. They're not frozen, but they're kept on ice the entire time.

Also, fresh seafood can be flown live in tanks from thousands of miles away. Modern transportation has advanced about as much as modern medicine.


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## taxlady (Sep 3, 2019)

GotGarlic said:


> Au contraire  A Google search shows me that it's about a six-hour drive from Bar Harbor, Maine. My local fishmonger sometimes gets scallops from somewhere about six hours north of here and they're fine. They're not frozen, but they're kept on ice the entire time.
> 
> Also, fresh seafood can be flown live in tanks from thousands of miles away. Modern transportation has advanced about as much as modern medicine.



You're right. It is possible to get quite fresh seafood almost anywhere. I don't want to pay the kind of prices that result from flying the seafood. So yeah, rich people and people willing to splurge, can have quite fresh seafood in Montreal. I don't fall into either category, though I have bought live lobster. Much simpler to get seafood that was frozen on the fishing vessel. That's about as good as it will get if you don't catch the fish yourself.


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## Recipes Make Magic (Sep 3, 2019)

skilletlicker said:


> Hey Recipes Make Magic, On behalf of the hoi polloi, thanks for your posts and don't let 'em get you down.


 
Thanks for you post.

I belong to 7 or 8 other forms and have been quite happily active in most of them for up to 10 years. 

I joined this forum somewhat expecting that the more active, knowledgeable membership might tend to occasionally express a moderate degree of appreciation for a newcomer like me, who has tried to put out a positive effort in good faith, to contribute some of his knowledge, thoughts, ideas, and recipes.

This has transpired to a limited extent from some who have come forward with encouraging posts, and whom I sincerely thank. 

I'm encouraged to see though, that I'm not alone in sensing that the forgoing expectation hasn't been quite so positive on all fronts. But I have thick skin, so I'm soldiering on as tactfully as I can. 

If my efforts didn't eventually meet with the acceptance of the general hoi polloi, then I would step aside from further contributing. 

Sincerely,
Paul


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## Silversage (Sep 3, 2019)

taxlady said:


> You're right. It is possible to get quite fresh seafood almost anywhere. I don't want to pay the kind of prices that result from flying the seafood. So yeah, rich people and people willing to splurge, can have quite fresh seafood in Montreal. I don't fall into either category, though I have bought live lobster. Much simpler to get seafood that was frozen on the fishing vessel. That's about as good as it will get if you don't catch the fish yourself.




Most of the shellfish I buy is also frozen on the boat.  Where we each live, we can get some things fresh caught, but if you really want variety, frozen is the way to go.  I can get great mahi, grouper, snapper, etc fresh, but can't get fresh walleye or salmon.  They have to be flown in or come frozen.  Local Gulf shrimp is great, but crab, sea scallops, etc are better frozen.   And Florida lobster can't hold a candle to Maine lobster!



The 'discussion' wasn't really about the quality of fresh over frozen.  In that, we all live where we live, and get what we can get.  The differing opinion was over wet vs dry pack scallops, and more specifically, washing off 'slime'.  BTW if any of you live near a Costco, they usually have great dry pack scallops in the U8-10-12 range.



Taxi, I bet you get great walleye, smelt & salmon!


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## taxlady (Sep 3, 2019)

Right, the rinsing of scallops. I was just reading that one reason to rinse, if it isn't wet pack, is to get rid of sand.


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## Recipes Make Magic (Sep 3, 2019)

Pic I promised of Scallops Vera Cruz we had tonite - they were excellent !


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## Recipes Make Magic (Sep 3, 2019)

Here it is


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## Cheryl J (Sep 3, 2019)

Recipes Make Magic said:


> Here it is



Looks delish!  Nice and caramelized.  Thank you for sharing, RMM.


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## Kayelle (Sep 4, 2019)

*RMM*, that's a really good looking plate and the recipe sounds wonderful. I have to give it a try although I'm a novice with scallops. 

By the way, the compliment from *Cheryl* should be taken very seriously, as many times she has presented pictures of the most beautifully seared scallops ever to be seen on Discuss Cooking!!
You are a great addition here, and your participation is both welcomed and very much appreciated.


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## Cooking Goddess (Sep 4, 2019)

While I do prefer serving up scallops mostly au natural (I do like them with grits, though), that sauce looks yummy. We're <150 airline miles from George's Bank, but I still think of scallops as a treat*. How do you think the sauce would work with seared shrimp? I can even see it with grilled pork chunks. I'm not a fan of cilantro, but I could see me tossing in some Italian parsley to bump up the color. I take it the sauce is plated at room temperature? I can't seeing that recipe being for a warm sauce.

Oh, and enjoy *Cheryl*'s compliment on your sear. She made me smile big when she complimented my last batch. 


*We do have them often enough, since I can buy local dry scallops that are frozen, frequently on sale for $13 a pound year-round.


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## bbqcoder (Sep 4, 2019)

Recipes Make Magic said:


> Pic I promised of Scallops Vera Cruz we had tonite - they were excellent !



Yes, they look great!  Can you comment on how you cooked the scallops? I mean, were they the wet variety and you used the CI trick? Or were they dry packed?

I do hate when I buy scallops at  Market Basket on sale and I don’t get a good sear because all of the water oozed out.  I will try the CI technique next time.  The only way I avoided this in the past is to get scallops from the local fish market or Whole Foods at $28+/lb.


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## bbqcoder (Sep 4, 2019)

Cooking Goddess said:


> *We do have them often enough, since I can buy local dry scallops that are frozen, frequently on sale for $13 a pound year-round.



Where do you find them on sale for $13/lb?


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## Recipes Make Magic (Sep 4, 2019)

Kayelle said:


> *RMM*, that's a really good looking plate and the recipe sounds wonderful. I have to give it a try although I'm a novice with scallops.
> 
> By the way, the compliment from *Cheryl* should be taken very seriously, as many times she has presented pictures of the most beautifully seared scallops ever to be seen on Discuss Cooking!!
> You are a great addition here, and your participation is both welcomed and very much appreciated.


 
I thank you very much for the kind words, Kathy - much appreciated.


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## Recipes Make Magic (Sep 4, 2019)

Cooking Goddess said:


> While I do prefer serving up scallops mostly au natural (I do like them with grits, though), that sauce looks yummy. We're <150 airline miles from George's Bank, but I still think of scallops as a treat*. How do you think the sauce would work with seared shrimp? I can even see it with grilled pork chunks. I'm not a fan of cilantro, but I could see me tossing in some Italian parsley to bump up the color. I take it the sauce is plated at room temperature? I can't seeing that recipe being for a warm sauce.
> 
> Oh, and enjoy *Cheryl*'s compliment on your sear. She made me smile big when she complimented my last batch.
> 
> ...


 
This sauce with seared shrimps, or prawns - is wonderful.
Linda doesn't like cilantro either, so I substituted with parsley.

And yes, the sauce is to be plated cool (somewhat warmed up from out of the fridge) or at room temp - I should have mentioned that.


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## Recipes Make Magic (Sep 4, 2019)

bbqcoder said:


> Yes, they look great! Can you comment on how you cooked the scallops? I mean, were they the wet variety and you used the CI trick? Or were they dry packed?
> 
> I do hate when I buy scallops at Market Basket on sale and I don’t get a good sear because all of the water oozed out. I will try the CI technique next time. The only way I avoided this in the past is to get scallops from the local fish market or Whole Foods at $28+/lb.


 
Thanks. 

First off, my fish market sells only dry packed and has always done so.

But I still ensure they are further dried well with paper towelling before sautéing, and they turn out well seared on pre-heated (med.-high) stovetop skillet - in small amount of butter & oil combo - for approx. 1 to -1.5 minutes or so each side. Depends on their  thickness size.

Immediately before frying, I very lightly brush them with a bit veg. oil, and sprinkle the prepared rub over both sides.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Sep 4, 2019)

Heavily Moderated...stay on topic.  There are Off Topic threads you can go to or create if you want to discuss the treatment of scallops.  This is a recipe forum, you must stay on topic.


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## Cooking Goddess (Sep 4, 2019)

bbqcoder said:


> Where do you find them on sale for $13/lb?


Price Chopper, on sale through Saturday at $12.99 for 10-20 count.


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## Recipes Make Magic (Sep 4, 2019)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Heavily Moderated...stay on topic. There are Off Topic threads you can go to or create if you want to discuss the treatment of scallops. This is a recipe forum, you must stay on topic.




I don't understand. 
Please explain to me exactly what is off topic, and how.

The question was specifically asked in regard to the recipe itself which I posted, as was the response that dealt with it - all pertinent to the recipe - how can that be off topic? 

Why would a separate thread have to be created to deal with a question about the specific recipe - that doesn't make sense to me.


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## Kayelle (Sep 4, 2019)

I don't understand either. ^


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## msmofet (Sep 4, 2019)

I think she is referencing the talk about dry vs wet scallops. And all the bickering and negative posts.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Sep 4, 2019)

msmofet said:


> i think she is referencing the talk about dry vs wet scallops. And all the bickering and negative posts.



bingo!


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## Recipes Make Magic (Sep 4, 2019)

msmofet said:


> I think she is referencing the talk about dry vs wet scallops. And all the bickering and negative posts.


 
Could be - but that could occur with any posted recipe thread, or any other thread for that matter- is the criteria for staying on topic that tightly restricted in a forum of this nature ?


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## Recipes Make Magic (Sep 4, 2019)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> bingo!


 

Thanks, Fiona - I give in - you have a point.
But I still think it's a bit of 'overkill' for a forum of this nature.
Just sayin' - after all, this isn't a court of law - LOL


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## Just Cooking (Sep 5, 2019)

Recipes Make Magic said:


> Thanks, Fiona - I give in - you have a point.
> But I still think it's a bit of 'overkill' for a forum of this nature.
> Just sayin' - after all, this isn't a court of law - LOL



As Cosmo Kramer says, without rules there's chaos..  

Ross


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## PrincessFiona60 (Sep 5, 2019)

Recipes Make Magic said:


> Thanks, Fiona - I give in - you have a point.
> But I still think it's a bit of 'overkill' for a forum of this nature.
> Just sayin' - after all, this isn't a court of law - LOL



I had several reports of the rudeness in this thread, I trimmed it.  We don't stand for rudeness and bickering in any thread.

Nuff said, back to your fantastic looking recipe.


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## kenmiller (Sep 5, 2019)

Please share the image I am excited to see the final look of this dish


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## msmofet (Sep 5, 2019)

kenmiller said:


> Please share the image I am excited to see the final look of this dish



Here is the picture



Recipes Make Magic said:


> Here it is


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## Recipes Make Magic (Sep 5, 2019)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> I had several reports of the rudeness in this thread, I trimmed it. We don't stand for rudeness and bickering in any thread.
> 
> Nuff said, back to your fantastic looking recipe.


 
Thanks for your obvious patience and good nature in dealing with this.


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## CWS4322 (Sep 5, 2019)

Scallops are sold like shrimp. The lower the #, the bigger the Scallop and the fewer # / lb. We considered 4-5 of the 9-12/lb to be a serving. I can't afford decent-sized scallops but would bet you could do this with cod, walleye, or shrimp.


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## Recipes Make Magic (Sep 5, 2019)

CWS4322 said:


> Scallops are sold like shrimp. The lower the #, the bigger the Scallop and the fewer # / lb. We considered 4-5 of the 9-12/lb to be a serving. I can't afford decent-sized scallops but would bet you could do this with cod, walleye, or shrimp.


 
It's great with either shrimp or prawns - I've had it several times with large prawns.
Can't see any reason it wouldn't be a good taste fit with cod or walleye.

When living in Winnipeg as a young man, I had a lot of walleye - particularly what they called walleye cheeks (or pickerel as walleye was called in Canada). 
I'll bet fried walleye cheeks dusted with breadcrumbs would go great with this sauce.


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## Cooking Goddess (Sep 5, 2019)

Recipes Make Magic said:


> ...When living in Winnipeg as a young man, I had a lot of walleye - particularly what they called *walleye cheeks*...


Decades ago, back in OH, my go-to grocery store would get their fish flown in daily from Foley Fish in Boston. They had cod cheeks regularly. Loved those things! However, I have never seen them in the 19 years we've actually lived in MA, and don't remember seeing them for years before back home. Wonder why the cheeks are gone?


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## Recipes Make Magic (Sep 5, 2019)

These days they must use the small medallions of fish flesh obtained from the inside of the gills (the 'cheeks') for other purposes.
I've not seen or heard of fish cheeks for over 30 years at least.


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## CraigC (Sep 5, 2019)

Grouper cheeks are very popular here, especially Black and Gag (grey) grouper.


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## CWS4322 (Sep 5, 2019)

When I would go to Newfoundland regularly, cod cheeks were my fav! I love it when the walleye we get are of the right size to grab the cheeks. Cod tongues are also good.


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## medtran49 (Sep 5, 2019)

Recipes Make Magic said:


> These days they must use the small medallions of fish flesh obtained from the* inside of the gills* (the 'cheeks') for other purposes.
> I've not seen or heard of fish cheeks for over 30 years at least.



Cheeks are not inside the gills.  They are below/behind the eyes in front of the gills.


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## Recipes Make Magic (Sep 5, 2019)

medtran49 said:


> Cheeks are not inside the gills. They are below/behind the eyes in front of the gills.


 
That's what I was told - perhaps this is just semantics as to exact location.
Do you have reliable info. as to exactly where cheeks are located. ?


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## Recipes Make Magic (Sep 5, 2019)

medtran49 said:


> Cheeks are not inside the gills. They are below/behind the eyes in front of the gills.


 
Doesn't "below the eyes, in front of the gills", tell you that the flesh is located just inside the gills ? 
That's what it says to me.


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## GotGarlic (Sep 5, 2019)

Recipes Make Magic said:


> Doesn't "below the eyes, in front of the gills", tell you that the flesh is located just inside the gills ?
> That's what it says to me.


Fish anatomy is not extremely different from human anatomy. Cheeks are in the head, not in the body cavity where the vital organs, such as gills (or lungs) are.


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## Recipes Make Magic (Sep 5, 2019)

Further, "In front" of the gills surely can't be on the outside of the gills- there's no flesh on the outside of the gills - It has to be inside. (that's cheeks, isn't it ?) Just picture a fish's head - the gills are in it. They're not in the body cavity as human lungs are
"Below the eyes" is inside of the fish's head as well.


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## GotGarlic (Sep 5, 2019)

Recipes Make Magic said:


> Further, "In front" of the gills surely can't be on the outside of the gills- there's no flesh on the outside of the gills - It has to be inside. (that's cheeks, isn't it ?) Just picture a fish's head - the gills are in it.
> "Below the eyes" is inside of the fish's head as well, alongside the gills.


Not really.


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## Recipes Make Magic (Sep 5, 2019)

GotGarlic said:


> Not really.
> View attachment 36554


 
I'm looking at the picture you've posted - the gills are definitely within the head of the fish, not in the body itself. The cheek is immediately beside the gill.
C'mon, let's give this a break - it's not worth arguing about.


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## Kayelle (Sep 6, 2019)

Seems simple to me..cheeks puff up with a smile, unless you're sitting on them.


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## medtran49 (Sep 6, 2019)

Recipes Make Magic said:


> That's what I was told - perhaps this is just semantics as to exact location.
> Do you have reliable info. as to exactly where cheeks are located. ?



Yes, all the fish I've seen taken apart from when DH and I spearfished for 20 plus years.


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## medtran49 (Sep 6, 2019)

Recipes Make Magic said:


> I'm looking at the picture you've posted - the gills are definitely within the head of the fish, not in the body itself. The cheek is immediately beside the gill.
> C'mon, let's give this a break - it's not worth arguing about.



No, it's not semantics.  You stated the cheeks were _*inside*_ the gills and they aren't.  No ifs, ands or buts.  Wouldn't want to be putting out incorrect info.


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