SHARP PRACTICE
Learn the art of fish filleting.
It’s the very early 1970s and a group of three young lads are preparing to spend a night camping on the banks of the tidal River Usk in South Wales. The spot they have chosen is where a minor tributary, Sor Brook, merges with the main river, a mile or so above the historic town of Caerleon.
For several hours three rods have been leaning against fork sticks, each connected to a simple running leger baited with garden worms, tactics that already have produced a few silver eels and a bonus flounder, all currently waiting out their ultimate fate in a keepnet.
With the onset of dusk and an impending night of darkness spent sleeping rough on the banks of the river, a fire is lit. One of the boys starts to ‘prepare’ the fish for grilling over hot coals. Using a cheap pocket knife with a blade so blunt it would have struggled to cut into a block of butter, the resulting ‘pile of fish’ was indeed a mess. The plan had been to cook whatever they could catch, and that’s what the lads were determined to achieve.
An hour or so later, the portions of fish were served. Burnt black on the outside, virtually raw in the middle, all were liberally laced with needle-like bones and glutinous lumps of chewy, inedible skin. Not surprisingly, they had tasted terrible, but ‘we’ had planned to eat our catch and that’s exactly what ‘we’ did. Yes, I was one of those lads, actually I was the ‘filleter’ with the useless penknife.
EXPERT SKILLS
That had been my first attempt at filleting fish, and you’ll be pleased to learn that in the near half-century since that memorable occasion, my skill with a filleting knife has improved. Indeed, I’d go so far as to say that, given a decent knife, I can fillet most types of fish. Yet, whenever I watch someone who is really proficient at filleting, I realise how highly skilled professional practitioners of this art really are.
Take, for example, Kevin Todd. Kevin is sales manager at E Ashtons (Fishmongers) Ltd at Cardiff Central Market, a city centre icon that has maintained its popular fish stall for more than 200 years.
Kevin started filleting fish professionally when he was 14, working as a Saturday boy in Penarth, then on leaving school Kevin began an apprenticeship at Ashtons. That was 22 years ago, during which time Kevin has become a true master with the filleting knife, regularly entering national competitions at events organised by the National Federation of Fish Merchants. These are prestigious events among the community of fishmongers, and Kevin has won on two occasions.
I met Kevin at Cardiff Bay Yacht Club when it had arranged for Kevin to give a demonstration on how to fillet various species of fish to the assembled congregation of club members. It really was a great evening, and, along with everyone else, I learnt a lot from watching the master. Over the course of the next few editions we will look at how to fillet the various species.
Firstly, give the knife a couple of deft strokes on a steel to ensure the blade is razor sharp.
Lay the previously gutted fish on its side. Place the edge of the knife immediately behind the gills and cut through to the backbone. Turn the fish over, repeat, and remove the head.