Say hello to Mr. Fish.
 |
| Mr. Fish |
Mr. Fish is a Bass – a round fish, with eyes on either side, that produces meat in two fillets.
Mr. Fish arrived to me and Amanda gutted (thank goodness). I had never had a fish on my cutting board before, but I could tell that he was a healthy fish when he was alive. He was a beautiful color. He was very fresh. I knew from evaluating against the qualities of fresh fish we learned (below).
Qualities of Fresh Fish
1. Clean, sweet smell – it should smell like the environment it came from
2. Clear eyes, shining, not cloudy
3. Bright, vibrant, and shiny skin
4. Scales should be in tact
5. Firm flesh
1. Clean, sweet smell – it should smell like the environment it came from
2. Clear eyes, shining, not cloudy
3. Bright, vibrant, and shiny skin
4. Scales should be in tact
5. Firm flesh
6. Gills should be red and bloody
7. Tight anus…. Seriously.
7. Tight anus…. Seriously.
We scaled Mr. Fish using the back of the knife. We used our scissors to cut off his fins.
We were to fillet him. My filleting knife wouldn’t cut the skin. I spent a few minutes trying to figure out what I was doing wrong. I couldn’t get it to work. I was perplexed. Chef Veronica was walking by. I quietly asked her what I was doing wrong. She took my knife to demonstrate the proper technique. She tried to cut the skin with no success. “This knife is so dull it is dangerous!” she informed me. Phew. I felt much better about Mr. Fish, but quickly began dreading the task of sharpening my filleting knife before class Monday. Amanda offered her knife and from there it went pretty smoothly.
But we dressed him beautifully!
Mr. Fish was to be cooked en papillote. We marinated him in olive oil and thyme. We prepared Tomato Fondue and Duxelles (mushrooms) as a bed for Mr. Fish. And carrots, leeks, and celery as a garniture. We put Mr. Fish in a heart shaped piece of parchment and baked him 9 minutes.
 |
| Bass en papillote |
Mr. Fish was to be our dinner and …. HE WAS DELICIOUS!!
 |
| Eating Mr. Fish for dinner |
This delicious piece of art is why I enrolled in culinary school!
 |
| Poisson en Papillote |
I had to share this comment I received via email....
ReplyDeleteI was catching up on the Whit’s End Test Kitchen tonight and to my horror I was introduced to “Mr. Fish”. He (or possibly she) is a striped bass Morone saxatilis to be precise. A magnificent creature of the ocean, estuary, and occasional visitor to fresh water. He is an anadromous fish, one who lives in salt water but spawns in freshwater – quite a feat from an osmoregulatory standpoint. He is revered and chased the world over by anglers – I have caught them from Mass down through the Chesapeake Bay. A powerful swimmer who loves rough water and is often lurking for prey in big surf or rapids and who can grow to over 3 feet long and almost 60 pounds.