Sea Bream, Simmered

I was raised by a mother who knows which fish and which part of each fish tastes the best, and she imparted that knowledge and appreciation to her children. When my mother would simmer or grill a whole, large sea bream, I had to fight with my siblings over who got the cheeks, the succulent meat behind the neck, and the eyeballs—not the white eyeballs but the gelatinous part surrounding them. And I am not alone in my love of these foods.

In the sushi kitchen, after filleting the sea