Gurnard, Scorpion Fish, Rockfish

Fish that offer little in the way of meat often come into their own in soups or stews. In such dishes, their large heads and prominent bones are a positive advantage, as the bones hold the flesh together during long simmering and the heads are used to make stock.

Typical examples are the eye-catching gurnards, a group of fish with bulky bones and well-developed, frond-like fins. Much of the flavor is concentrated in the bones. The gurnard family clusters around the northeastern Atlantic and Mediterranean. Names like gray, shining, armed, and streaked gurnard give an indication of their varied appearance; the rose-red piper is also a gurnard. Most important is the red gurnard, which spreads over to the North American coast, where it is often called the sea robin. It is also good broiled on the bone, or filleted to sauté or deep-fry.