Butterflied whiting

[liltuffy]

Hey guys, my father and I are interested in knowing how to butterfly fillet whiting for cooking, not for sending down on a hook.

I think all you do is slice along the underbelly then work along the backbone while leaving the shoulder and top of the fish in one piece.

I'm sure a heap of other fishos have their own ideas and methods which would make life easy, so lets put our ideas out there.

[onerabbit]

Right idea, wrong way around.
Fillet from the dorsal down, leaving the belly intact, then nick out the rib bones all togeather. YUM

Muzz

[MulletMan]

Rabbitt, can you give a blow by blow description of how to butterfly 'em thanks mate?
I have tried it but am a dismal failure.
I can whip their fillets off and debone them quite OK but must be missing a step in the butterfly bit somewhere
Thanks PP

[Gorilla_in_Manila]

PP / liltuffy,

Probably only worth doing if you are trying to get the most out of small whiting. ie winter whiting.

1. Scale fish. Make sure you get all the scales off the belly and bottom section back toward the tail.
2. Stick knife in vent and slit gut up toward neck
3. Cut fillet from each side of frame like normal, but dont cut the bottom section between venteral fins and the tail
4. Cut skin on bottom right near the tail
5. Pick up frame and fold back butterflied fillets so skin of each fillet lays back to back
6. Holding frame in one hand, pull butterflied fillets away from frame. Break venteral fins away fist and then it should just rip toward the tail.
7. Open butterflied fillets and nick out rib bones and venteral fins.

Bob is now officially your uncle; egg and bread crumbs and straight onto the BBQ flesh side down first (otherwise the skin will curl), little bit of salt / pepper / lemon juice and you have one of the best going finger foods known to man. [smiley=2thumbsup.gif]

Cheers
Jeff

[onerabbit]

What can I say, better than I could have put it, in theory the same thing, I just keep the belly flap togeather, I'd rather just fillet myself also.
PP, good opportunity for me to say "cheers" for your great lessons on weather, thank you.

Muzz

[liltuffy]

Thanks guys I appreciate your help. Since there is no mackerel about I'm going whiting fishing this week. Heard there is plenty about in the bay.