How to Eat Fish
Fillet and de-bone whole fish before eating it., Eat fish fillets and steaks with a fork and knife., Don't eat the shell, vein, tail, or head on shrimp or prawns., Eat crab and lobster directly from the shell with a fork., Use a fork or shell to...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Fillet and de-bone whole fish before eating it.
If the fish is being served whole, you'll want to cut the head off first, just behind the gills.
Next, hold the body with your fork, and use your knife to the belly open, starting at the head and ending at the tail.
Pull open the body, and remove the backbone.
You can do this by placing the tip of your knife under the spine, then lifting it out with your fork.If you can't remove the bones, simply eat around them.
Don't flip the fish over to eat the flesh from the other side of the bones.
This is bad etiquette.
Instead, use your fork to lift the bone up and pull the flesh away. -
Step 2: Eat fish fillets and steaks with a fork and knife.
Most fish fillets will be de-boned, but you will still want to be careful.
If you bite into a bone, simply pull it out of your mouth with your fingers, and set it down onto the side of your plate.
Some people like to eat the skin of their fish.
Other people like to peel it away first using a fork and knife. , If you ordered pasta, likely the shrimp and prawns will already come peeled and deveined.
If you ordered them as a dish, they may come whole.
In this case, you'll need to the pull off the head and tail, then the shell.
Be sure to pull out the black thread along the back and discard it before eating the shrimp or prawn.To eat a peeled and headless prawn or shrimp: grip it by the tail, bite the body off, and discard the tail.
When peeling shrimp, it is easiest to start from the underside of the body, where the legs are. , Crack the claws and legs with special cracker, then pull meat out with fork or pick.Some restaurants will also offer to serve the meat already extracted from the shell for you. , When eating a bowl of clams or mussels, see if you can find an intact shell, then use it to grip and pull the fleshy bits from the shells.
You can also use a fork instead, if you'd like. -
Step 3: Don't eat the shell
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Step 4: or head on shrimp or prawns.
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Step 5: Eat crab and lobster directly from the shell with a fork.
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Step 6: Use a fork or shell to pull the flesh away from clams and mussels.
Detailed Guide
If the fish is being served whole, you'll want to cut the head off first, just behind the gills.
Next, hold the body with your fork, and use your knife to the belly open, starting at the head and ending at the tail.
Pull open the body, and remove the backbone.
You can do this by placing the tip of your knife under the spine, then lifting it out with your fork.If you can't remove the bones, simply eat around them.
Don't flip the fish over to eat the flesh from the other side of the bones.
This is bad etiquette.
Instead, use your fork to lift the bone up and pull the flesh away.
Most fish fillets will be de-boned, but you will still want to be careful.
If you bite into a bone, simply pull it out of your mouth with your fingers, and set it down onto the side of your plate.
Some people like to eat the skin of their fish.
Other people like to peel it away first using a fork and knife. , If you ordered pasta, likely the shrimp and prawns will already come peeled and deveined.
If you ordered them as a dish, they may come whole.
In this case, you'll need to the pull off the head and tail, then the shell.
Be sure to pull out the black thread along the back and discard it before eating the shrimp or prawn.To eat a peeled and headless prawn or shrimp: grip it by the tail, bite the body off, and discard the tail.
When peeling shrimp, it is easiest to start from the underside of the body, where the legs are. , Crack the claws and legs with special cracker, then pull meat out with fork or pick.Some restaurants will also offer to serve the meat already extracted from the shell for you. , When eating a bowl of clams or mussels, see if you can find an intact shell, then use it to grip and pull the fleshy bits from the shells.
You can also use a fork instead, if you'd like.
About the Author
Angela Jackson
Writer and educator with a focus on practical cooking knowledge.
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