How to Fillet a Whole Fish with Below Deck’s Chef Ben
Ben Robinson shows us how to break down a whole red snapper, then turn it into sushi, sashimi, ceviche — and more!
Felicia Perretti
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If the idea of breaking down an entire fish terrifies you, know you're not alone.
Before catching Ben Robinson's class on the Food Network Kitchen app, I would have been the first to admit that the whole process seems way too intimidating to even attempt. Granted, I have never gone fishing and grew up in a seafood-less household. I only recently graduated from ordering the occasional salmon dish at restaurants to keeping fish fillets in my freezer at all times.
But that's the beauty of Ben's class. He teaches us how to take a whole red snapper and turn it into tonight's dinner — all while making it feel approachable and (surprisingly) simple. You may recognize chef Ben Robinson from Bravo's Below Deck, the reality series that provides a behind the-scenes look into the lives of the people who work aboard mega-yachts. Ben, of course, serves as the executive chef, creating gorgeous dishes out on the open water. He brought his culinary skills on land (to the Food Network Kitchen studio, specifically) to teach the course Raw Fish Made Easy. Before demonstrating how to make ceviche, fish crudo and sushi, he shows us how to break down a snapper in just three easy-to-follow steps. His class left me feeling far more confident and prepared than frantically Googling "what do I do with this whole fish?!" ever could. Here's how chef Ben preps a whole fish, and how you can, too:
Felicia Perretti
1. Remove the Fins and Scales
As you might have guessed, this step can get messy fast. Fortunately, Ben shares his secret for keeping things clean and tidy, inspired by his 10+ years of experience cooking on yachts: Use a plastic bin filled with water to catch all of the scales. No bin? You can use your sink, but be careful not to clog the drain with scales.
2: Fillet the Fish
Easier said than done, right? Don't worry. Ben walks us through this whole process step by step, so it's easy to follow along as he slices into the fish and cuts the fillets. Pro tip: Save the skeleton to make a flavorful stock!
3: Remove the Pin Bones
Anyone who has bitten into a bone while eating a fish dish knows how unpleasant it is. Ben gently runs his fingers over the flesh to feel for these bones, and then uses needle-nose pliers or tweezers to pull the bones from the flesh.
From this point on, you can do anything! Don't know where to start? Check out the rest of Ben Robinson's Raw Fish Made Easy course to learn how to turn the fruits of your labor into ceviche, fish crudo and sushi.
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