How to fillet a sea bream
Sometimes we prefer to buy fish already cleaned and filleted because we don't dare do it at home. Not out of fear or lack of confidence, but out of lack of practice or laziness. So, to help you know what to do the next time you buy a whole sea bream, Karlos Arguiñano shows you how to fillet the fish.
You can ask the fishmonger to clean and fillet the sea bream, but knowing how to do it at home gives you more freedom to choose whole pieces and is usually cheaper.
All you need is a sharp knife and a little practice. Let's get started!
Step 1: Remove the head
Place the sea bream on its side and, with a sharp knife, remove the head. Cut just behind the gills.
Step 2: Separate the first loin
From head to tail, make a straight cut following the spine and keeping the knife close to it. This way you'll get the most out of the meat.
Step 3: Repeat the process
Once the first loin is separated, turn the fish over and do the same on the other side.
Step 4: Remove the bones
Remove any remaining bones from the fillets. You can use fish tweezers. If you can't see them, run your fingers around them to locate them.
Step 5: Clean the loins
Remove any remaining skin, scales, bones, or blood from the sea bream to clean it completely. Use a paper towel to remove the blood or rinse the fish under a stream of cold water and pat it dry.
And that's it! See how easy it was? With a little practice, you'll see that filleting a sea bream at home is super easy; you just need to dedicate a little more time to it. The more you practice, the better you'll get each time. Plus, it'll be cheaper to buy a whole fish than a tray of fillets, similar to what happens with chicken.
And cleaning a trout?
We've already explained how to clean a trout, a fish prepared in a very similar way to sea bream, so now it's your turn. Grab a good knife and let's get started!
