Ask George: How hard is it to debone a whole, cooked fish at the table and should I even attempt it? Kevin R., Maplewood, Mo.
Believe it or not, it’s a lot easier than it looks. And since the result is large, intact fillets, doing so enhances the fish eating experience immensely. Here’s how it’s done.
First, make sure a large plate is available for the discards. Second, secure a spoon and a table knife. They’re all the surgical utensils you’ll need.
reeds
Missouri trout and roasted seasonal vegetables at Reed's American Table.
- Remove any trussing and use the spoon to gently scrape away the top and bottom fins.
- Make an incision where the fillet meets the head (next to the gill). Slice through the skin down to the bone.
- Make the same cut where the fillet meets the tail.
- Cut through the skin along the entire top side of the fish.
- Using the point of the knife, make a cut down the center of the fillet.
- Using both knife and spoon, gently slide the upper fillet off the bone cage.
- Repeat with the lower fillet.
- Separate the bone cage from the bottom fillet and discard. The head, tail, and skeleton usually come off in one piece.
- Remove any residual bones from the bottom fillet.
- For best presentation, carefully place the two smaller fillets atop the larger one.
Note: The above method leaves the fish skin intact. It can also be removed during the deboning process. Note also that there are several YouTube videos demonstrating the entire operation.
While the above description may sound complicated, the entire process can be completed in a minute or two. It’s like sabering a bottle of champagne: Once you’ve done it once, you’ll want to do it again and again.
If you have a question for George, email him at gmahe@stlmag.com.
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