How to Skin a Freshwater Drum Fish
The freshwater drum fish is popular in sport fishing in North and Central America due to its large adult size and challenging to catch and land successfully. It is not widely eaten, as it provides a relatively small amount of meat in relation to its overall size. A freshwater drum is slightly more complicated than other fish to clean and prepare for cooking, but anyone with a little experience and the correct tools can manage the job. The fish should be cleaned and gutted before you can skin it. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Cleaning the Fish
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1
Wash the fish under cold running water and place on the preparation board or work surface.
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2
Remove the head by cutting at an angle from both sides. Cut from the gills to the vent and remove the entrails with your hand, making sure that nothing is left inside the cavity.
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3
Remove all of the bones. Follow the spine rather than the rib cage and cut out the bones with kitchen shears or use the knife if you can be accurate. Make sure that you get the whole of the bone in each section as drum bones have a tendency to snap off if you pull at them without cutting away underneath first.
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4
Wash the fillets to remove any traces of guts and body fat residue.
Skinning the Fish
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5
Place the fish fillet skin side down on the work surface.
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6
Cut through the flesh to the skin starting at the tail and angle the knife so the blade is at a 30-degree angle between the skin and flesh.
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Grip the skin firmly by the tail and slide the knife from side to side as you move down the fillet, separating the flesh from the skin as you go.
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Cook the fillet with the skin on and gently pull the skin from the flesh as soon as you take it out of the pan as an alternative method. It should peel away easily.
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Tips & Warnings
It is important to use a sharp flexible knife with a long blade for skinning.
Use a little rock salt on your fingers to help grip the fish if it is too slippery.
Freshwater drum holds its shape well during cooking and is used in fish soups, stews and curries for this reason.
Remove the skin after cooking for extra flavor.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Fish fillet image by andrus from Fotolia.com
