VAAG Skrei Cod Cheeks

Name: VAAG Skrei Cod Cheeks
Brand: ALBION FINE FOODS
SKU: SKREICHEEKS
Price: 20.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

£20.00

Lofoten · Vesterålen Wild Caught

The most prized cut on the cod — small, round muscles from either side of the head with a firm, scallop-like bite and a clean, faintly sweet flavour. Hand-trimmed and super-frozen at –50°C the same day they come off the boat at VAAG's Henningsvær fishery. Eight to nine cheeks per pack, ready to sear.

£20.00

Wild Skrei cod cheeks (Gadus morhua) from the same Lofoten and Vesterålen catch as our Skrei loin — the migratory Atlantic cod that returns to these waters each winter to spawn after a 1,000-kilometre journey from the Barents Sea. The cheeks are the small, round muscles set into either side of the cod's head, and pound for pound they are the most prized eating on the fish. Where the loin is dense and flaking, the cheeks are firm, sweet and almost scallop-like in texture — a clean, springy bite with a faint shellfish quality on the palate. In Norway, Spain and Portugal they have always been the cut professional kitchens reach for first; in the UK they remain quietly under the radar, despite being arguably the best mouthful the fish offers.

VAAG hand-trim and clean each cheek before vacuum-packing and super-freezing at –50°C the same day they come off the boat at Henningsvær. The packs typically contain eight or nine cheeks, around 200g, with no further preparation required. Cooked simply — a hard sear in foaming butter, a few seconds per side, finished with lemon — they are one of the most rewarding ingredients in this entire range, and the kind of cut that turns a quick supper into something genuinely memorable.

Producer: VAAG Seafood, Henningsvær, Lofoten, Norway · Wild-caught from Vesterålen / Lofoten waters Species: Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) — Skrei

Catch method: Pot and line, Norwegian coastal fleet (FAO Area 27)

Season: Caught January–April · Available all year from frozen

Ingredients: Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). No additives.

Storage: Keep frozen at –18°C or below until the best-before date. Defrost in the fridge in the sealed vacuum pack overnight. Once defrosted, use within 24 hours. Do not refreeze.

Allergens: Fish

Pack: Approximately 200g, 8–9 cheeks per pack

Defrost in the sealed vacuum pack in the fridge overnight — eight to twelve hours. Do not defrost at room temperature or in warm water. Pat thoroughly dry on kitchen paper before cooking. Once defrosted, use within 24 hours and do not refreeze.

Cod cheeks cook in seconds, not minutes. The texture is the point — firm and springy when right, rubbery and tight when overdone — so the brief is heat, fast, finish.

Pan-seared in butter: Heat a knob of butter in a heavy pan over a medium-high heat until foaming. Season the cheeks lightly with salt. Lay them in a single layer and sear for 60–90 seconds on the first side until a golden crust forms, then turn and cook for a further 30–60 seconds. The flesh should be just opaque through and still springy to the touch. Finish with a squeeze of lemon, a pinch of flaky salt, and the foaming butter spooned over.

À la plancha: Brush lightly with olive oil, season, and cook on a very hot dry pan or plancha for around 60 seconds per side. Serve with a romesco, allioli, or a simple salsa verde — the Iberian treatment, where the cut originates as a kitchen tradition.

Cod cheek scampi: Toss the cheeks in seasoned flour, then a light egg wash, then panko or fresh breadcrumbs. Shallow-fry in neutral oil at 180°C for 90 seconds until golden. Serve with tartare sauce, lemon, and a pile of dressed leaves. The closest thing the sea offers to genuinely good scampi.

In a fish stew or cataplana: Add the raw cheeks to a finished tomato-and-saffron broth in the last 2–3 minutes of cooking. They will firm up and warm through without going past the point. Excellent with mussels, clams, fennel and a splash of white wine.

The mistake to avoid: treating them like chunks of cod loin. They cook two to three times faster. Pull them off the heat the moment they turn opaque on the outside — they will continue to set in their residual heat for another 30 seconds, which is exactly enough.

Order Cut-Off Times & Delivery Date Selection

Orders placed before 2 PM (Monday to Friday) are dispatched the same day, unless you select a future delivery date at checkout.

Our Delivery Service

We use reliable third-party express courier services and high-quality insulated packaging. While our couriers are generally excellent, occasional delays can happen. We pack everything to stay fresh, even if transit takes a little longer.

Time-Sensitive & Event Orders

Can we guarantee delivery on a specific day? Unfortunately not - we rely on third-party couriers and can't control their schedules. All items leave us in perfect condition with good use-by dates, but final timing depends on the courier.

If your order is for a specific event, let us know in the notes section at checkout. We can often dispatch a day earlier to give you the best chance of timely arrival.

DELIVERY Changes After Dispatch

Once dispatched, your package is with the courier and we're unable to redirect it or change delivery details.

Saturday Delivery

Saturday delivery is available, though please note our couriers don't operate phone support at weekends and our office is closed. For event-critical orders, a weekday delivery gives us more flexibility to help if any issues arise.

Full delivery details and shipping rates: here

Description

Wild Skrei cod cheeks (Gadus morhua) from the same Lofoten and Vesterålen catch as our Skrei loin — the migratory Atlantic cod that returns to these waters each winter to spawn after a 1,000-kilometre journey from the Barents Sea. The cheeks are the small, round muscles set into either side of the cod's head, and pound for pound they are the most prized eating on the fish. Where the loin is dense and flaking, the cheeks are firm, sweet and almost scallop-like in texture — a clean, springy bite with a faint shellfish quality on the palate. In Norway, Spain and Portugal they have always been the cut professional kitchens reach for first; in the UK they remain quietly under the radar, despite being arguably the best mouthful the fish offers.