How to fillet a mackerel
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Fresh mackerel. Just a couple of hours after being caught and brought home and what a difference from those sold in supermarkets. Notice the eyes are bright and rounded – not sunken and discoloured. The flesh is firm and has retained its beautiful oil-slick rainbowing.
Now, of course you can gut them and bake them whole, but this is a demo, courtesy of my angling husband, on how to fillet them and remove the pin bones. There’s a lot to be said for the ritual easing of meat from bones whilst dining, but equally, there’s something completely wonderful about putting a piece of fish on your plate and not having to go all CSI on it.
You need a good knife. Fishy man has a filleting knife that he got from The Tackle Box (the tackle shop at Brighton marina)- its blade is thin and it’s sharper than a sharp thing. I really wouldn’t want to use a knife that is doubled up as an all purpose kitchen knife for this job. A sharper knife is a safer knife.
One disclaimer – this is a graphic demonstration of removing flesh from a dead fish. There is blood. If you don’t like looking at dead fish or blood, then you might like to peruse the recipe index for some baking recipes instead. Continue reading 'How to fillet a mackerel'»
