The flounder is a sea fish that lives near the seabed. It is a flat animal, like the sole, which is usually caught in coastal bays and near estuaries; it measures between 12 and 37 cm and is about half its length wide. It is a fish that is often eaten both at home and in restaurants because it is low in fat and high in protein. The fresh flounder, not farmed, does not have an intense fishy smell and the eyes are bright and transparent; the gills must be of a slight red color. Clean it thoroughly after taking it home to prepare it for cooking.
Steps
Step 1. Remove the gelatinous drool
Place the fish on a clean, flat surface. A healthy flounder is covered in a clear, gel-like substance, which you can wash off under a gentle stream of cold running water.
Step 2. Cut the gills
Use a small sharp knife to carve the fish just behind the gills until it reaches the bones, but be careful not to sever them.
Step 3. Cut the flank of the flounder
Locate the spinal column running along the midline, from the gills to the tail; make an incision along this line from the center of the gills to the caudal fin, following the path of the spine with the blade.
Step 4. Fillet the fish
Insert the tip of the knife under the skin, near the spine. Slide the blade from the gill to the tail, lifting the detaching flesh as you go. Keep lifting the tenderloin as you cut it off the bone; proceed until the edible portion is completely divided from the spine. The meat should stick to the tail only.
Step 5. Move to the underside of the fish
When the top has been filleted, make the same incisions under the flesh and near the spine to separate the underlying portion from the bones; also in this case, make sure that the fillet remains connected to the tail.
Step 6. Remove the skin
Slide the blade between the skin and the flesh to remove the first; during this operation you have to grab the skin and not the meat, as it is more robust.
Step 7. Turn the fish over
Perform the same operations by cutting and filleting the abdominal portion.
Step 8. Remove the fillets
Once separated from the skin and bones, you have finished the cleaning work, you can then cook and prepare the fish; generally, four fillets are obtained from a medium-sized flounder.
Advice
- Once caught, keep the flounder in ice and immediately place it in the refrigerator after cleaning it; the fish spoils quickly when you leave it at room temperature for too long.
- Arrange some newspaper before cleaning the fish; in this way, the subsequent cleaning operations are simpler: just wrap the sheets on themselves and throw them away.
