Fish is delicate and spoils fast, so buying well matters as much as cooking well.
Key idea
Freshness signs: a clean smell like the sea (not fishy), firm flesh that springs back, bright clear eyes (not cloudy or sunken), red or pink gills, shiny skin, and fillets without gaps or browning. Keep fish very cold, on ice in the refrigerator, and use it soon. Round fish (salmon, trout, snapper) give two fillets; flatfish (sole, flounder) give four.
- Scale and gut if needed; rinse and dry.
- Lay the fish on its side. Cut behind the head down to the backbone.
- Turn the knife toward the tail and cut along the backbone with long, smooth strokes, keeping the blade against the bones.
- Lift the fillet away; turn the fish over and repeat.
- Trim the belly bones; pull the pin bones with fish tweezers, in the direction they point.
Why it works
Fish muscle has very little connective tissue, so it cooks quickly and falls apart if overcooked. Fish is done at 145°F, or when the flesh turns opaque and flakes.
Worked example: Yield
A 3 lb whole salmon gives 1.35 lb of skinless fillet. Yield percent?
- $1.35 \div 3 = 0.45$.
Answer: 45%.
Common mistake
Pressing the knife into the bones and leaving flesh on the frame. Let the blade ride on the bones.
Practice at home
- Buy a whole trout or small snapper and fillet it. Weigh the fish before and the fillets after, and work out your yield.
- Cook the frame into a quick fish fumet (30 minutes).
In Meal Prep
- Fish Bonne Femme: classic poached fish with mushrooms