# Proper knife and technique to scale and gut a fish



## LuisMendes (Sep 1, 2016)

Hi there ! Homecook here that's starting to work on fish (sea bass and sea bream so far). Is there a knife type that is more appropriate for this task or a gyuto will do the job?

So far I've been doing it with a sabatier.. It was ok, here is the result. No big deal, except for the scales that flew over the entire kitchen :mad3:








I've been looking at this video, seems like a nice way to do it
[video=youtube;igElhAruUmA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igElhAruUmA[/video]

How do you scale and gut your fish?


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## zetieum (Sep 1, 2016)

Scaling fish was boring until I invest in a a special tool. I have this model from Déglon. I payed less than 20 euros and it make the job perfectly. 





To gut the fish, it is dependent on the type of fish and what you want to to afterwards with it (i.e. filet versus whole fish). For instance a mackerel that I want to cook entire, I remove the guts via the head (i.e. via the gill). Same fish for filet, I cut the head after classical two cuts behind the first ventral fins, open from the the annus to the head, cut the main bone being the head and remove head and gut in one movement. 
My 0.02 look in youtube.


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## Dave Martell (Sep 1, 2016)

LuisMendes said:


> I've been looking at this video, seems like a nice way to do it
> [video=youtube;igElhAruUmA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igElhAruUmA[/video]




I couldn't watch past the first few seconds, all I could see is the knife going through his left hand.


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## ThEoRy (Sep 1, 2016)

Just use a scaler. They cost like $10 at Korin.


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## Von blewitt (Sep 1, 2016)

+1 on a scaler
Also if you partly envelope the fish in a plastic bag it will help keep the scales from flying everywhere


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## KenHash (Sep 1, 2016)

The method shown in the video is often (but not always) seen in restaurants behind the counter.
But every household in Japan has one of these, a traditional fish scaler. There are now modified models that stop or even catch the scales.


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## S-Line (Sep 1, 2016)

Sukibiki is an essential technique for sushi chefs. Some of the fish that we come across are so expensive that a lot of the places that I work at require us to scale the fish with the knife rather than a scaler to prevent bruising to the flesh/fish. I typically use my "backup/beater" yanagi for this task. And when done correctly, chances of you cutting your hand is minimal.


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## ThEoRy (Sep 1, 2016)

KenHash said:


> The method shown in the video is often (but not always) seen in restaurants behind the counter.
> But every household in Japan has one of these, a traditional fish scaler. There are now modified models that stop or even catch the scales.


That's the one I have.


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## daveb (Sep 1, 2016)

At home I take the job outside. Same scaler. Except for catfish.


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## HomeCook (Sep 1, 2016)

ThEoRy said:


> That's the one I have.



https://www.japaneseknifeimports.com/collections/fish-scalers/products/fish-scaler-regular


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## EdipisReks (Sep 2, 2016)

KenHash said:


> The method shown in the video is often (but not always) seen in restaurants behind the counter.
> But every household in Japan has one of these, a traditional fish scaler. There are now modified models that stop or even catch the scales.



That right there is the best way to do it. Screw Alton Brown: a properly designed speciality tool is the way to go over a multi-tacker, sometimes (I love Alton Brown, all respect). I store mine in a bag of salt, which kills the fish smell.


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## LuisMendes (Sep 2, 2016)

Thank you guys for all the answers !!

zetieum: Whole fish. Gutting is for me the most important part, now I don't have the fish bleeding for hours from the moment I buy it until it's prepared. I've watched several videos in youtube and tried to filter out the BS, at least the obvious. I insert the knife right behind the gill, till it reaches the board, and them make a cut, as if cutting the fish's neck. Then I open the belly from the annus until the first cut. Remove the guts and gill, the gill needs a small cut inside the head to remove. Don't know if this is the correct way to do it, but it worked. The people at the supermarket do it in a similar way, but using only the scissors ! I'm very happy with my achievement !!  

I'll try to find the scaler model with the scale stopper, or try to envelope in a plastic bag. Thanks Von blewitt.

daveb: Doing outside is not an option for me, I live in an apartment  

S-Line: What is Sukibiki ? The technique in the video?

Theory: Hey! Nice to hear from you ! I'm a big fan of your vids !!


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## Iggy (Sep 2, 2016)

ThEoRy said:


> That's the one I have.



Me too. 
Works.


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## zetieum (Sep 2, 2016)

Luis: If you cook the whole fish, here are my 0.02:
- keep the head (but remove the gil): (i)there is some good meat on the cheek, (ii) it looks nicer
- with a scissor to remove all the fins, it is easier and safer than with a knife (do that before scaling it)
- you can gut through the gill with keeping the opening of the belly to its minimal, it helps keeping the fish together for the cooking and it looks nicer see [video=youtube;JvTWhdxaD0o]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvTWhdxaD0o[/video] . I would still open the belly a bit more than in this video.
- since with a lot of water inside and outside as soon as you gut it. I actually prefer to gut it under a continuous water flow.
- always scrap the blood line (inside folowing the middle of the central bone) with a wood stick or equivalent: it give a fishy taste
- Dry it completely inside and outside before cooking it.


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## LuisMendes (Sep 2, 2016)

Zetieum, thanks for the tips. I'll cook some fish this weekend. If you look at the picture in my first post, that's my hand and fish there, a small sea bass. It doesn't look bad for the first time.


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## Devon_Steven (Sep 2, 2016)

LuisMendes said:


> Is there a knife type that is more appropriate for this task or a gyuto will do the job?



Deba is the knife for this job.

Some techniques videos on Itasan's channel... I've seen him recommended on KKFs before and found the videos useful:

[video=youtube;udTHiRg34KI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udTHiRg34KI[/video]

(and sea bass in particular) 

[video=youtube;rfzGeu69Qns]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfzGeu69Qns[/video]


Steven


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## zetieum (Sep 2, 2016)

LuisMendes said:


> Zetieum, thanks for the tips. I'll cook some fish this weekend. If you look at the picture in my first post, that's my hand and fish there, a small sea bass. It doesn't look bad for the first time.



I did not check the pic. Well, then you already nailed that and my advices are clearly not needed here. post some pic of you week-end fish!


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## copperJon (Sep 2, 2016)

My 0.02:

Google sanmai oroshi and gomai oroshi and be prepared to lose hours of your life watching fish fillet vids.

Go with the traditional scaler from JKI that others have mentioned. Fancy scalers that collect scales only collect the ones that stick on the tool. Scales like to fly everywhere and no tool will fix that. If you have to scale indoors, use a LARGE plastic garbage bag unless you don't mind stray scales stuck in your sink and on your walls.

The blood line in the center of the fish is actually the kidney. I've never tried the bamboo stick way, but found this tool from Oxo recently that I don't mind keeping on the boat. Scrape with the spoon end, flip over and scrub with the nylon. 
View attachment 32879


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## copperJon (Sep 2, 2016)

Not sure what gives with my image...one more time.




:thumbsup:


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## LuisMendes (Sep 3, 2016)

zetieum: Your advices helped, for sure. Thanks! Just bought fish for tomorrow, two nice medium size sea breams. I asked the woman in the supermarket just to remove the scales and cut the fins (my scissors suck!), she looked at me like if were asking something kind of completely nonsense  Pictures tomorrow at lunch time ! 

Devon_Steven: I'm doing in a way very similar to the sea bass video, except that I cut from belly to head instead of from head to belly. If I'm not removing the head and not filleting it, do you see any benefits in using a deba rather than a gyuto?

CopperJon: Thanks, I'll try to find one of those.


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## Devon_Steven (Sep 3, 2016)

LuisMendes said:


> Devon_Steven: I'm doing in a way very similar to the sea bass video, except that I cut from belly to head instead of from head to belly. If I'm not removing the head and not filleting it, do you see any benefits in using a deba rather than a gyuto?



I'm sure someone more knowledgeable can enumerate the technical reasons why the deba is more suited... but, in short, it is the J-knife designed for the task.

My attempt at the technical reasons is that: it's shortish; stiff; heavy; very sharp; and the geometry is good for running along the fish bones to separate the muscle.


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## tienowen (Sep 4, 2016)

I work at the sushi restaurant and we used the red snapper head to make soup or make some braise with dashi stock and spice! Here the video of chef Morimoto break down fish with yo-deba.
[video=youtube;e0083JZXdc0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0083JZXdc0[/video]


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## Noodle Soup (Sep 4, 2016)

Hey, I'm a northwesterner but who scales salmon? And what he was doing I would call skinning.


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## zetieum (Sep 5, 2016)

@LuisMendes: so how was your week-end fish? Give us some news!


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## LuisMendes (Sep 6, 2016)

zetieum : Fantastic !! I used my toyama gyuto to do the job, no issues at all, worked like a charm. When gutting I think I've opened the fish too much, with some practice I want to keep the fish more closed, like the video in the beach that you posted

Pictures:


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## zetieum (Sep 6, 2016)

Looks great. Indeed the opening looks too much. But fish is looks super clean. Those were dorades?


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## spoiledbroth (Sep 7, 2016)

Noodle Soup said:


> Hey, I'm a northwesterner but who scales salmon? And what he was doing I would call skinning.



People who want to eat some delicious salmon skin!


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## LuisMendes (Sep 7, 2016)

zetium: Yes! Dorades

Later I'll try to find a deba and start to fillet some fish.. but it's not the priority now.


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## Noodle Soup (Sep 7, 2016)

spoiledbroth said:


> People who want to eat some delicious salmon skin!



That isn't done much around here. I have a silver in the freezer fresh out of a local river but my plan is to barbeque it over an alder wood fire with the skin on.


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## copperJon (Sep 8, 2016)

Noodle Soup said:


> That isn't done much around here. I have a silver in the freezer fresh out of a local river but my plan is to barbeque it over an alder wood fire with the skin on.



That is done by those that like to eat tasty skins, just as spoiledbroth says. I have 17 king/coho in the freezer and all have been scaled. Many will go on the bbq as well, so what do you mean? If you bbq you can't eat the skin? If you're not...you're missing out, so give it a try!


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## ThEoRy (Sep 8, 2016)

Even when I skin the salmon I still descale it. I do this so I don't contaminate my portions with any loose scales.


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