Summer is the best time of year to enjoy seafood with family and friends, but it can be tough if Costas Inn isn’t open yet and you want to enjoy perfectly-prepared seafood. If you are ready to tackle filleting a fish on your own, don’t be intimidated! Here is everything that you need to know to start filleting fish all by yourself.
Buy a Whole Fish
First, you need to purchase a whole fish to filet. The gills of the fish should be a bright red color. If the fish has been sitting there for a while, the gills might look dark red or brown. Fresh fish have eyes that are clear and a little bit plump. The fish should be firm to the touch and never soft or mushy. All of the fins should be intact, as missing fins are a sure sign of mishandling. Last, but definitely not least, the fish should not have a strong and nasty smell.
The Right Tools for the Job
Next, you need to gather the right tools to filet your fish:
- A chef’s knife, sharpened
- A boning knife, sharpened
- A cutting board
- Adequate workspace
- Large tweezers to remove the smallest bones
Get Started
Now it’s time to start filleting the fish using the following steps:
- Remove the head by making an incision past the gills and pectoral fins until you reach the spine. Cut through until the head detaches.
- Make cross-cut steaks or filet the length of the fish. Filets just require inch-and-a-half cuts down the length of the fish.
- To start the filleting process, run the boning knife along the spine of the fish above the dorsal fin to the tail. Run the knife along the ribs and the filet should be detached from the bone.
- Repeat the same process on the other side.
- Trim the belly fat off the filet.
- Feel for the pin bones and use a set of tweezers to remove them from the fillet.
- Enjoy!
Your Seafood Destination this Summer
Costas Inn has been a Baltimore tradition since 1971. You may recognize our restaurant, which was recently featured on the Food Network with Michael Symon on Burgers, Brew, and ‘Que! We were also voted the 2015 #1 Baltimore Seafood Restaurant by USA Today, as well as #1 Crab Restaurant 2014 in the Baltimore Business Journal. You may have also spotted Costas Inn during one of our 9 appearances on the Today Show or heard one of our many interviews on WJZ TV Channel 13 with Ron Matz and Marty Bass.
You can enjoy our famous crab cakes in-house or order them online for anytime eating. We also provide some of the best seafood catering in the Baltimore area! You can also get your fill from Costas even when you’re not in our dining room: follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, and YouTube!