Fish heads aren’t for everyone, but for those who know, they’re one of the finest cuts of the fish. Tender cheeks, silky collagen, and bean curd soaked in a rich soy braise make this one of the most comforting Chinese dishes you’ll ever eat. Braised Fish Head with Bean Curd features tender hapuka, silky bean curd sheets, ginger and soy in a rich Chinese-style braise.
Fish head is one of those ingredients that instantly divides people. Some look at it and see nothing but bones, while others see the very best part of the fish. I definitely belong to the second group.
Growing up, fish head was never something to avoid. In fact, everyone would quietly hope to get a piece of the cheek, the collar, or the rich gelatine around the jaw. Those are the parts packed with flavour, collagen, and incredibly tender meat. There’s surprisingly more meat on a large fish head than most people realise, and every piece has its own unique texture.
When we first moved to New Zealand nearly twenty years ago, fish heads were incredibly cheap. Most people overlooked them, and you could buy large premium fish heads for next to nothing. As more Asian communities settled here, that slowly changed. People knew exactly what they were worth. Today, large fish heads from premium fish like hapuka can easily cost more than many cuts of steak. The one I used for this recipe weighed close to two kilograms and was around NZ$30 per kilogram, making it anything but a budget ingredient.
A Dish with Deep Chinese Roots
Braised fish head has been enjoyed throughout China for centuries, with each region putting its own spin on the dish.
The style closest to this recipe comes from the Jiangnan region around Shanghai, Suzhou, and Hangzhou, where fish heads are slowly braised with soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, ginger, and tofu. These dishes celebrate the natural richness of the fish rather than masking it.
Meanwhile, Cantonese cooking contributed many of the techniques used here. Marinating the fish with ginger, spring onions, oyster sauce, and cooking wine before frying is a classic Cantonese approach that removes any unwanted fishiness while building flavour before the braise even begins.
The addition of bean curd sheets is equally traditional. Once rehydrated and cooked, they become wonderfully chewy and absorb every drop of the savoury sauce.
Why Fish Head Is So Highly Valued
One of the biggest misconceptions about fish head is that it’s mostly bone. While there are certainly plenty of bones, there is also an incredible amount of meat hiding throughout the head.
The cheeks are delicate and buttery. Around the jaw you’ll find silky collagen that almost melts in your mouth. The collar provides firm, flavourful flesh, while the skin becomes wonderfully gelatinous after braising.
These are exactly the qualities that make fish head so prized throughout Chinese, Malaysian, Singaporean, and Filipino cuisines where they are showcased in dishes like fish head curries,fish head soups and many more.
Unlike fillets, the head develops an incredibly rich texture during cooking while also enriching the sauce with natural gelatine.
My Version
For this recipe I used a large hapuka head, one of New Zealand’s finest eating fish. Its firm white flesh holds together beautifully during braising while releasing plenty of collagen into the sauce.
Before cooking, I soak the fish in a mixture of salt, ginger, lemon, and spring onions. This simple step removes any lingering fishiness while keeping the delicate flavour of the fish intact.
The fish is then marinated with oyster sauce, soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, ginger, spring onions, and egg yolk before being lightly coated in cornstarch and pan-fried until lightly browned. This helps the fish stay intact during the braise while adding another layer of flavour.
One of my favourite additions is the bean curd sheets. I coat them with beaten egg before lightly frying them, allowing them to develop a beautiful golden exterior. During the braise they soak up the savoury sauce while still retaining a pleasantly chewy texture.
Everything finishes together in a claypot with onions, ginger, soy sauce and Chinese cooking wine until the fish becomes incredibly tender.
A Dish Worth Discovering
I completely understand why fish head intimidates some people. Seeing the eyes and bones can be confronting if you didn’t grow up eating it.
But once you look beyond appearances, you’re rewarded with one of the richest and most flavourful seafood dishes you can make.
For those of us who grew up loving fish heads, this is comfort food at its finest. Rich, savoury, packed with collagen, and perfect alongside a bowl of steaming rice.
Sometimes the best parts of an ingredient aren’t the ones everyone reaches for first.
Would love to try this your way . . . much milder than what I have previously had. Methinks my first meeting with fish heads came at Banana Leaf Apolo in Singapore in the 1980s where Fish Head Curry was definitely the item to order :) ! I believe it is still on the menu. A few Sydney friends have also presented more European style versions but always serving whole – supposedly the guest of honour getting the eyes :) !
Would love to try this your way . . . much milder than what I have previously had. Methinks my first meeting with fish heads came at Banana Leaf Apolo in Singapore in the 1980s where Fish Head Curry was definitely the item to order :) ! I believe it is still on the menu. A few Sydney friends have also presented more European style versions but always serving whole – supposedly the guest of honour getting the eyes :) !
I would devour all the fish heads! This looks really really good to me, except bean curds :-))