PlaiceVideo: 01:32
Description
Flatfish are a subcategory of the taxonomic group Osteichthyes, otherwise known as bony fish. Their bodies have adapted to life on the seabed. Examples of flatfish include plaice, flounder, halibut, turbot and Dover sole. Flatfish, as the same suggests, are flat and generally oval in shape. Their bodies are pigmented at the top, while their bellies are generally light in colour. They can be cut into four fillets, the belly fillets being shorter than those from the back.
Step by step instructions
- Lay the fish belly side down on a board and remove the tail fin and head with a pair of fin shears.
- Using a filleting knife, cut along the backbone from head to tail. You can feel where the backbone is by running your finger along the back of the fish.
- Use a knife to remove the upper fillet from the fish's back by drawing the knife away from the backbone towards the outer edge of the fish. Cut off the fillet at the tail fin. Repeat this technique to cut out the remaining fillets.
- To skin the fillet, place a knife at the end of the fillet straight under the skin and slide the knife through at a slight angle from back to front. Do this by holding the skin tight and drawing the knife between the skin and the fillet. Remove the ragged edges, the innards and the fat and cut the fillets to size.