Salmon cheek

The cheek is the small, round muscle set into each side of a salmon's head — the laksekinn of the Norwegian fish counter, the hoho-niku ("cheek meat") of Japanese butchery — that works the jaw. Two come from each fish, each barely a mouthful, tender yet firm with a springy, scallop-like bite: mild, clean and faintly sweet, a scarce morsel quickly pan-seared in butter or gently poached.