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Topic: Rinse fillets with freshwater or saltwater or not at all?  (Read 12482 times)

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Captain Redbeard

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Great info, thanks!


Clayman

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Quote
...cutting live or just-dead fish can destroy the quality of the resulting fillets. Heed the former advice about bleeding and chilling, but also be sure to let fish rest for at least an hour post-mortem before they see the knife. Some species’ fillets will literally disintegrate in the pan if you fail to let flesh rest before cutting.

This might be why some of my fish seems to turn out firmer than other folks I talk to; I usually bleed fish immediately and then they go in the cooler whole on ice when I get back to the car where they stay until I fillet them, which is often the next day.
I remember my first-hand experience with filleting really fresh fish.  About 10-12 years ago, I filleted some freshly caught trout only a few minutes after bonking+bleeding.  As soon as the fillets came off the spine, you could see the muscle tissue retracting and the fillets literally shrunk in size.  Upon cooking, I noticed a significant difference in the texture: chewy, almost spongey.  Definitely not appetizing!

Nowadays, I like to wait a while before I fillet my fish to let the muscle tissue "relax".
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INSAYN

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I have also found that fileting fish after rigor has passed and while still very cold, that the meat is nice and firm allowing the knife to just glide through the flesh resulting in a very clean smooth fillet that holds its consistency all the way to the table (frozen or not).

One fish that is inherently difficult to fillet is the Cabezon, and on top of that, it seems to never go into rigor. 
I will keep my Cabs on ice the longest and fillet them last if at all possible just to give it more time to rest and firm up.

If I am doing a day trip to Depoe Bay/PC, I will wait until I am back home and everything cleaned and put away with one beer down before I start the filleting process.  This is a minimum of 3-4 hours.

If I am camping at the coast, I try to lollygag by getting some beer and food in me, gear cleaned and sorted well before I start the fillet process.  I also find it helpful to keep the fillet table out of the sun for both myself and the fillet quality.
 

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PNW

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I don't like to fillet cabezon. It takes me too long, I waste meat & (if not cooked fresh) I think they taste better frozen whole in brine or clean seawater & bbq'd or baked whole. If it's +20", I'll curl it in a 2.5 gallon ziplock. If I had room in the freezer, I'd keep all my rockfish, greenling & perch that way.


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sumpNZ

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Paul - I assume that's gutted.  Do you also remove the gills?

Do you do anything else with the fish before cooking it whole like that?  E.g. salt, herbs/spices, added fats like butter or oil, etc?  Do you score the skin?
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PNW

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Paul - I assume that's gutted.  Do you also remove the gills?

Do you do anything else with the fish before cooking it whole like that?  E.g. salt, herbs/spices, added fats like butter or oil, etc?  Do you score the skin?
Yes, gutted. Bled, but I don't remove the gills. Never thought about it. I don't add ingredients except for smoke from the bbq. I'm a little picky about the wood I use. I the leave the skin intact to hold moisture & infuse the meat with natural oils.


Spot

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I need to try that Paul.  Great idea!

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sumpNZ

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Paul - I assume that's gutted.  Do you also remove the gills?

Do you do anything else with the fish before cooking it whole like that?  E.g. salt, herbs/spices, added fats like butter or oil, etc?  Do you score the skin?
Yes, gutted. Bled, but I don't remove the gills. Never thought about it. I don't add ingredients except for smoke from the bbq. I'm a little picky about the wood I use. I the leave the skin intact to hold moisture & infuse the meat with natural oils.

What woods do prefer, or at least purposely avoid?

How hot on the grill do find works well for cooking them whole?
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Zach.Dennis

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I would reccomend removing the gills.  Gills and guts is where bacteria first grow.  So if you do not filet the fish and wait prior to cooking you will want to remove the gills.  If you are going straight from the ocean i doubt that the bacteria will affect the meat in that short period.  But if a day goes inbetween catch/gut and cooking then you could have an issue.
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PNW

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Paul - I assume that's gutted.  Do you also remove the gills?

Do you do anything else with the fish before cooking it whole like that?  E.g. salt, herbs/spices, added fats like butter or oil, etc?  Do you score the skin?
Yes, gutted. Bled, but I don't remove the gills. Never thought about it. I don't add ingredients except for smoke from the bbq. I'm a little picky about the wood I use. I the leave the skin intact to hold moisture & infuse the meat with natural oils.

What woods do prefer, or at least purposely avoid?

How hot on the grill do find works well for cooking them whole?
Go to woods are:
Vine maple
Big leaf maple
Oak
Apple
Alder (no bark)

Depends on the size, but 300 to 325 degrees, cover to hold smoke for about 30 minutes. Keep an eye on them, flip the fish at about 15 minutes.


PNW

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I would reccomend removing the gills.  Gills and guts is where bacteria first grow.  So if you do not filet the fish and wait prior to cooking you will want to remove the gills.  If you are going straight from the ocean i doubt that the bacteria will affect the meat in that short period.  But if a day goes inbetween catch/gut and cooking then you could have an issue.
I'll be trying that soon.


sumpNZ

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Paul - I assume that's gutted.  Do you also remove the gills?

Do you do anything else with the fish before cooking it whole like that?  E.g. salt, herbs/spices, added fats like butter or oil, etc?  Do you score the skin?
Yes, gutted. Bled, but I don't remove the gills. Never thought about it. I don't add ingredients except for smoke from the bbq. I'm a little picky about the wood I use. I the leave the skin intact to hold moisture & infuse the meat with natural oils.

What woods do prefer, or at least purposely avoid?

How hot on the grill do find works well for cooking them whole?
Go to woods are:
Vine maple
Big leaf maple
Oak
Apple
Alder (no bark)

Depends on the size, but 300 to 325 degrees, cover to hold smoke for about 30 minutes. Keep an eye on them, flip the fish at about 15 minutes.

Excellent.  No shortage of vine or big leaf maple on my place.  Lots of alder too.  No oak of apple sadly.
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PNW

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Excellent.  No shortage of vine or big leaf maple on my place.  Lots of alder too.  No oak of apple sadly.
Since you have it in abundance, I like vine maple & alder for the smoker also. I just downed a large apple tree in the backyard. I can bring you a bundle next time I see you. ORC? Sunset?


sumpNZ

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If I make to ORC that would be fantastic.  Not sure I'll get there though as there's a possible business trip to Europe that's being discussed that same time frame.  And that assumes ORC even happens.
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PNW

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If I make to ORC that would be fantastic.  Not sure I'll get there though as there's a possible business trip to Europe that's being discussed that same time frame.  And that assumes ORC even happens.
There's this one: https://www.facebook.com/events/1213726548778689/


 

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