Filleting Mackerel

[Channa]

GRAPHIC - How to fillet a fish - Mackerel - Japanese technique - ??????? - YouTube

A month or so back someone was asking about how best filleting mackerel. I found this which may help.

The plaster I believe is optional !!

Channa

 

[trevskoda]

Over here they put knife behind side fin and cut back both sides and the rest goes to the gulls.

 

[Clunegapyears]

Knock at the door last night

A fisherman trying to sell me his days catch for EUR10 ... freezer full so bought just 4 ... think they may be large sardines. An 'agricultural' style of fileting and cleaning, but it works! Quite right ... all the bits over the quay for the gulls. So super tonight is grilled sardines with a tomato salsa, unless you've any suggestions?

Given mackerel by fishermen last summer up in Scotland - just delicious.

 

[Auld Pharrrt]

Seemed to take an awful long time to do one fish!

I start by cutting into the fish behind the fins as he did, then I simply rotate the blade from vertical to horizontal in the direction I'm cutting and then slice off the flesh to the tip of the tail in one swift motion ... flip the fish over and do the same on other side, I don't usually have to remove the, to quote the video "Belly Bones," but I can in the same way he did if any came off with my fillet. I don't usually bother to remove the pin bones either. The head gets chucked to wee dug, the bare bones with guts attached go back in the water to feed the crabs, and bring more fish in to my hooks.

The whole process takes about 30 seconds at the most ... this is the video I learned it from, you can clearly see he doesn't waste time gutting the fish first, he doesn't hack at it or saw at the flesh with the knife, just one initial cut then a quick slice, then trim, done.

[video=youtube;EODHCT6TvE0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EODHCT6TvE0[/video]

This is an excellent video for filleting round fish I found a few years ago, I've been doing it this way ever since.

The only Gurnard I caught was too small so it went back, but shop bought ones from Morrison's were full of parasites and went in the bin. Dogfish are tougher to skin but well worth the effort, no bones, just a (can't remember the name for it ... gelatinous maybe) spine.

Flatfish I haven't done yet, but I'd probably just cook them whole after cleaning and eat them off the bone.

 

[Nesting Zombie]

Yes, Same here, I don't mess about with them if I don't have to.

 

[Auld Pharrrt]

p.s. I only remove the head if I'm cooking the fish straight away ... if coming home to the freezer the fish gets gutted and comes home whole (less freezer burn damage if head if left intact.)

 

[Nesting Zombie]

IF its for the Freezer I use to Catch UM (got a few actually)



Gut n Skin UM


Take the Spines out of UM


Chop UM up into Good Sized Portions, Keeping the Trimmed Chunks fir Pies


Then Keep going Turning the rest !


In To


Then Bag UM up !.


Keeping a CPL of the good ones whole for Bartering

 

[Auld Pharrrt]

IF its for the Freezer I use to Catch UM (got a few actually)

View attachment 50657

Gut n Skin UM
View attachment 50658

Take the Spines out of UM
View attachment 50659

Chop UM up into Good Sized Portions, Keeping the Trimmed Chunks fir Pies
View attachment 50660

Then Keep going Turning the rest !
View attachment 50663

In To
View attachment 50664

Then Bag UM up !.
View attachment 50661

Keeping a CPL of the good ones whole for Bartering
View attachment 50662

Lucky burger ... now I'm drooling!

 

[Nesting Zombie]

Lucky burger ... now I'm drooling!

I must admit, I'm NO fisherman, & Certainly have NO Fish Monger or Butcher skills !. But I use to have the opportunity to get ABSOLUTLY LOADS of Crab, The occasional Lobster, & All sorts of Fish, So I Had what I Needed, Froze what I Wanted & Bartered What I Felt was the Best. Although Sea food is off the menu nowadays, I still do pretty much the same with Other Nibbles.
Bartering is still good currency in my circle of acquaintances.

 

[Auld Pharrrt]

I must admit, I'm NO fisherman, & Certainly have NO Fish Monger or Butcher skills !. But I use to have the opportunity to get ABSOLUTLY LOADS of Crab, The occasional Lobster, & All sorts of Fish, So I Had what I Needed, Froze what I Wanted & Bartered What I Felt was the Best. Although Sea food is off the menu nowadays, I still do pretty much the same with Other Nibbles.
Bartering is still good currency in my circle of acquaintances.

I don't know about bartering, but I do like my food, especially from the water.

 

[edina]

I don't know about bartering, but I do like my food, especially from the water.

Mackerel are scrummy cold. If you gut them, then cook them whole and let them cool, you get four fillets which virtually fall from the bone.

 

[Robmac]

Mackerel are scrummy cold. If you gut them, then cook them whole and let them cool, you get four fillets which virtually fall from the bone.

Also nice mashed up with Philadelphia cheese and spread a bit of toast Chris.

 

[Auld Pharrrt]

When I manage to bring a few home I like to lay out a sheet of kitchen foil, put half a bag of spinach leaves in a heap, lay twa whole mackies on top, sprinkle liberally with mixed herbs, fresh ground pepper and a little salt. Heap the other half of the spinach on top and wrap LOOSELY with the foil. Bake in oven for about 40mins ... Scoff the lot!

A nice way to store them ... gut them, boil them, let them cool. Store in glass jars filled with oil, olive oil probably best ... will keep longer than if frozen and the oil is superb if used as part of a salad dressing.

 

[campervanannie]

I did dispatch, descale, behead, gut and fillet a good sized seabass and posted the pics on here somewhere well actually I didn't despatch it Hipster hit it with an empty wine bottle that seemed to go the trick lol

 

[Auld Pharrrt]

I did dispatch, descale, behead, gut and fillet a good sized seabass and posted the pics on here somewhere well actually I didn't despatch it Hipster hit it with an empty wine bottle that seemed to go the trick lol

I had a nice picture from summer where I had 4 or 6 mackerel fillets in my frying pan ready to cook, I'm darned if I can find it now ... but I think I posted somewhere.

Found it eventually ...


I spent almost a month on the pier at Toscaig last year and the fishing was dreadful ... the odd few fish I did manage to catch went straight into the pan and a few went into the smoker ... the smoked ones were shared with anyone who happened by, including a welsh couple in a converted bus MH.

Eventually, my niece-in-law ... who has ZERO fishing experience had a go and also caught nowt ... anyway, a long story short, I ended up parked in Ullapool campsite for a week while my nephew and his missus went over to Lewis to deliver some stuff to her sister from her late mother ... while over there she got the chance to get her lines wet and this was one of her (ONLY ONE) catches after an hour or so ...



She also caught quite a few gar and as I'd never tasted them I asked her to bring me a couple back ...



Sadly they were quite small (she didn't know about legal size regs. etc., but they were exceptionally tasty, gutted, sliced into small pieces about 1cm each and fried with shake of salt n pepper ... eaten as is, bones and all. In fact, the bones from gar are served in some countries deep fried as a super duper snack!

 

[Channa]

If I am truthful I never commented on the filleting of mackerel, Purely because I don't cook them that way.

My preferred method is to cook the fish whole, slit the skin rub with oil ,add a bit of fennel or fennel seeds rubbed in , fill the cavity with herbs.

Why ? filling the fish with herbs keeps the meat moist and imparts a subtle flavour.

Cooked in foil , Papillotte the culinary term ....15 -20 mins you have the most beautiful fish gently infused with flavour.

At this stage young children or squeamish adults ...Knife driven behind the gills, rotate 90 degrees the fillet will come off simply draw towards the tail . Remove the skeleton for the other fillet ...at this stage head and tailed and far easier than filleting to start off with.

As an aside the papillotte cook in a bag technique is really lost amongst wild campers and yet a fantastic technique. ....A cod loin for example new pots bit of broccoli mushrooms put in what you want , add a bit of white wine to assist the steaming seal pop in the oven or remoska and you have restaurant quality food..

Minimal effort too which is even better.

Channa

 

[Wully]

Love Mackerel my favourite fish. We go on a boys jolly once a year about 20 of us charter a boat load a Booz and the party trick after a few broows is to see who can juggle three live mackerel the longest more fun than eating them I've got a video I'll post in when I find it what a scream

 

[groyne]

My method is similar to Old Pharrrts, I make a cut behind the head then cut from the tail. Another method for removing the bones, is to head, tail and gut it, cutting right along. Then lay the fish gutted side down and press hard along the spine. Flip the fish back over and lift out the back bone. It works, but it's messy.


I hope this is a pre 2016 picture.

Or a 2 angler catch after June last year.

 

[Ed on Toast]

A lot of Chinese and well other dishes are cooked and served with bones.

Shanghai 3 fish head stew, being a good example

 

[Nesting Zombie]

My method is similar to Old Pharrrts, I make a cut behind the head then cut from the tail. Another method for removing the bones, is to head, tail and gut it, cutting right along. Then lay the fish gutted side down and press hard along the spine. Flip the fish back over and lift out the back bone. It works, but it's messy.


I hope this is a pre 2016 picture.

Or a 2 angler catch after June last year.

Hi Ya,,,Um Yeah, There was Both Me & Charlie on the Boat Honestly Guv lol lol cough cough.