Despite the name, cod tongues aren’t tongues at all — they’re the small, plump muscles from the throat and cheeks of the cod, and for generations they were the cook’s reward after a day of splitting fish on the flakes. Outport families saved every part of the catch, and a feed of tongues fried up crisp was the Friday-night treat nobody turned down. When the salt fish schooners came in, the tongues were often the first thing to hit the pan.
What makes them great is the contrast: a shatteringly crisp, salty crust from the seasoned flour and rendered pork fat, giving way to a sweet, delicate bite that tastes like the sea itself. They cook in minutes, so they’re perfect for a quick appetizer or a late-night kitchen feed. Pile them on a plate, shower them with scrunchions and a squeeze of lemon, and watch them disappear.
