Fish - filleting and cooking

This week you will be improving your knife skills by filleting a whole fish - to practice, you need to purchase something small and inexpensive, such as a mackerel. You will not be able to purchase a whole salmon, and it would be wasteful if you did. If you would like to make the salmon recipe, buy trout instead - it is smaller, less expensive, and you will be able to buy it whole from a fish counter in a supermarket, or from a fish monger.

Gallery

Recipes

This week, the skill is filleting the fish, so you can choose any recipe that you would like to prepare and cook. Please get it checked with your class teacher before the lesson. Here are a few suggestions:

Japanese-style mackerel bowl: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/japanese-style-mackerel-rice-bowl 

Vietnamese caramel trout (you could also cook a rice-based side dish to accompany this): https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/vietnamese-caramel-trout

Salmon Scotch eggs (this serves 4, so divide the recipe in half): https://sortedfood.com/recipe/salmonscotcheggs 

Top Tips

- When buying whole fish, ensure the gills are red and the eyes are clear and not sunken. The flesh should be firm and not slimy. Of course, also check the use-by date!

- Watch the videos several times before attempting the filleting - it is a tricky skill to master!

- Ensure you use a filleting knife with a flexible blade - you are attempting to leave as little flesh behind on the bones, as possible. This avoids wastage and maximizes the amount of fish you have to cook.

- Think about how much time you have in the lesson - you need to factor in around 10-20 minutes for your filleting, depending upon how confident you are at doing it.

- Be careful when cooking your fish; it does not contain collagen as meat does that needs breaking down. Ensure you cook it minimally to avoid drying it out too much.

- Fish is cooked when the flesh feels firm when pressed lightly.

- If you are making sushi, you need to buy very fresh fish that you are confident of eating raw. Using a fish monger is recommended, and please check the use-by date! You can also smoke or cook the fish before using it in sushi, if you prefer.