By Josie Wawrzyniak
Before his death recently at age 96, fitness and nutritional guru Jack Lalanne proclaimed for more than thirty years, “The food you eat today is walking and talking tomorrow.”
Today, we know more about food’s effect on the human body than ever before. Many people are reducing their consumption of red meat or are choosing to eliminate it from their diets completely. Some people are vegetarians who eat only fruits, vegetables, grains, seeds, nuts and mushrooms. Some “semi-vegetarians” include fish with their plant-based diets. Recent studies have shown that eating fish may reduce a person’s chance of developing heart disease by up to 50 percent.
If you already eat fish or are considering adding it to your diet, you can avoid the preservatives in processed varieties by purchasing a fish soon after it is caught. Go to a good market that sells fresh fish. Most offer it already gutted and scaled. Look for fish with clear eyes. Those with cloudy eyes are less fresh. Smell the fish. The older the fish, the more it smells. If you are not sure about anything, ask the fishmonger. He will answer your questions and offer suggestions.
Getting a fresh fish ready to cook is easier than you think. These instructions will explain how you can do it whether you are an experienced cook or not.
The most common cut of fish is the fillet, a whole side of a fish with the skin and bones removed. Filleting a fresh fish just before cooking is the first step to making it into a tender and flavorful meal.
Begin with a good cutting board and a thin, flexible knife. A sharp knife reduces the likelihood of having an accident by slicing more easily. A dull knife tears through the meat, forcing you to struggle. A sharp knife saves time and gives a better appearance to the cooked fish.
Be careful when handling a sharp knife. You will be less likely to get cut if you slice away from your body. Purchase a filleting glove and use it. It will protect your hand from accidental cuts and will help you grip the fish. Place several layers of newspaper on your cutting board to soak up loose blood that could make the fish hard to grasp. When you finish cutting your fillets use the paper to wrap the remnants for disposal.
Use care when handling your fish. Some fish have teeth that are sharp enough to cut you. Many have fins with spines as pointed as ice picks. If you are a novice, go slowly at first.
Remove any scales remaining on your fish. Next, wash it under cold running water to rid it of slippery residue. Take off the fins by cutting along each side of the fin. Cut deep enough to remove it with its supporting bones. Then use your knife to extend the slit along the fish’s belly from head to tail if this has not already been done.
Hold the fish flat on the cutting board with its back toward you and make your first fillet cut. Cut behind the gills as if you were removing the fish’s head. Cut through the flesh from the top of the fish down to the belly skit. Do not cut through the backbone.
Begin your second cut at the top of the fish where your first cut ends. Slice with a sawing motion along the backbone down the back of the fish all the way to the tail. Cut as close to the spine as possible but do not cut into it. Gently pull the fillet up and away from the fish to expose the fish’s rib cage. With the rib cage as a guide, work your knife around it to slice away as much flesh as possible. When the fillet has been completely cut from the fish, turn the fish over and repeat the cuts on this side.
When you finish you will have two fillets. Examine each for fine bones and remove any you find. If the fillets are large, cut them into smaller pieces. Depending on preference you can leave the skin on or you can carefully trim it off. Gently rinse the fillets under running water and pat them dry with a towel. Your fillets are now ready for cooking.
You can fillet many types of fish with this basic procedure. After you do it a few times you will be able to fillet anything a fisherman catches. Preparing your own fillets from fresh fish is the first step to creating a great tasting and healthy meal. Use your preferred cooking method to cook your fillets and you will soon know why there are very few food items as delicious as a properly prepared and cooked piece of fish.
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